bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coulomb-blockade peak spacing statistics of graphene quantum dots on SiO2
Authors: Herrmann O. , Gould C. , Molenkamp L. W.
Published: October 2016

Extrinsic disorder strongly affects the performance of graphene-based quantum dots. The standard SiO2 substrate is generally considered to be one major factor besides edge-induced disorder. In this report we present the fabrication of lithographically defined quantum dots on SiO2 with short and narrow constrictions and different central island sizes. Low temperature transport measurements display distinct Coulomb-blockade peaks with amplitudes exceeding what is commonly observed experimentally. The analysis of the normalized Coulomb-blockade peak spacing shows a size dependence, which has not previously been observed for devices on SiO2. Furthermore, a quantitative comparison of the peak spacing distribution to the literature shows that one of the two devices compares favorably to a similar sized dot placed on hexagonal boron nitride, which is known to reduce the substrate disorder. Our findings suggest that the other sources of extrinsic disorder, such as lithography residues, may play an important role for the performance of large graphene quantum dots.
Domain structure and electronic state in P3HT:PCBM blend thin films by soft X-ray resonant scattering
Authors: Kubota M. , Sakurai T. , Miyadera T. , Nakao H. , Sugita T. , Yoshida Y.
Published: October 2016

We performed soft X-ray resonant scattering experiments on poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-buteric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend thin films to reveal the domain structure and electronic state, where P3HT and PCBM mean regioregular poly (3-hexylthiophene) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-buteric acid methyl ester, respectively. We measured two films, where chloroform (CF sample) and 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB sample) are used as solvents in the fabrication process. There is negligible X-ray incident angle dependence of the X-ray absorption spectra at the S K-absorption edge in the CF sample, whereas the DCB sample exhibits clear incident angle dependence. We obtained the wave-number resolved spectra at Q = (1, 0, 0) for P3HT molecules in both samples. The packing growth of P3HT molecules is revealed to be much more developed in the DCB sample than in the CF sample. In addition, the electronic structure at local sulfur element sites clearly changes for both the samples.
Layer-sensitive magneto-optical spectroscopic study of magnetization dynamics in multilayered RE-TM structures
Authors: Tsema Yu. , Savoini M. , Tsukamoto A. , Kimel A. V. , Kirilyuk A. , Rasing Th.
Published: October 2016

Using spectroscopical magneto-optical methods, we are able to disentangle the contributions of the different layers in the net magnetization of a GdxFeCo/SiN/GdyFeCo heterostructure. By static magneto-optical measurements, time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy and temperature and laser fluence dependence study of the magnetization dynamics, we study the laser-induced magnetization dynamics and reversal in this multilayer system for each layer separately.
Gyrokinetic simulations of an electron temperature gradient turbulence driven current in tokamak plasmas
Authors: Yi Sumin , Jhang Hogun , Kwon J. M.
Published: October 2016

We report the results of a gyrokinetic simulation study elucidating the characteristics of the current driven by electron temperature gradient (ETG) turbulence in toroidal geometry. We examined the amount of the ETG turbulence-driven current for different turbulence levels, which were obtained by varying the relative electron gyroradius ρ* = ρe/a. Simulations show that the amount of the ETG turbulence-driven current increases with ρ* due to the gyro-Bohm scaling of turbulence intensity. A perturbation of the equilibrium q-profile by the ETG turbulence-driven current becomes noticeable when ρ* > 1/4000. Even in a small ρ* case, the proportional relation between the ETG turbulence-driven current and turbulence intensity suggests that a considerable intrinsic current can be driven inside an edge pedestal where a steep gradient of the electron temperature profile can excite ETG turbulence in a narrow region.
Strain engineering in monolayer WS2, MoS2, and the WS2/MoS2 heterostructure
Authors: He Xin , Li Hai , Zhu Zhiyong , Dai Zhenyu , Yang Yang , Yang Peng , Zhang Qiang , Li Peng , Schwingenschlogl Udo , Zhang Xixiang
Published: October 2016

Mechanically exfoliated monolayers of WS2, MoS2 and their van der Waals heterostructure were fabricated on flexible substrate so that uniaxial tensile strain can be applied to the two-dimensional samples. The modification of the band structure under strain was investigated by micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy at room temperature as well as by first-principles calculations. Exciton and trion emissions were observed in both WS2 and the heterostructure at room temperature, and were redshifted by strain, indicating potential for applications in flexible electronics and optoelectronics.
Graphene tunnel junctions with aluminum oxide barrier
Authors: Feng Ying , Trainer Daniel J. , Chen Ke
Published: October 2016

We report a development of graphene tunnel junctions made by chemical vapor deposition grown graphene and sputtered aluminum insulating by an in-situ grown aluminum oxide. The thin oxide layer formed in between the metal layer and the two-dimensional material is a crucial part of a tunnel junction. We characterized surface morphology of oxide layers and studied tunneling spectra of lead and silver tunnel junctions to estimate the quality of the aluminum oxide. The Brinkman-Rowell-Dynes model was applied to fit the conductance-voltage plots to calculate the thickness of oxide layers. Junctions with graphene both on bottom and on top were fabricated and their tunneling properties were characterized after exposure to air for weeks to test time stability. Furthermore, the resistances of graphene tunnel junctions with aluminum oxide formed naturally and in an oxygen atmosphere were studied. Our results demonstrate that in-situ aluminum oxide is an effective barrier for graphene tunnel junctions. The methods of barrier formation enable the realization of more tunnel devices and circuits based on graphene.
Dislocation loops as a mechanism for thermoelectric power factor enhancement in silicon nano-layers
Authors: Bennett Nick S. , Byrne Daragh , Cowley Aidan , Neophytou Neophytos
Published: October 2016

A more than 70% enhancement in the thermoelectric power factor of single-crystal silicon is demonstrated in silicon nano-films, a consequence of the introduction of networks of dislocation loops and extended crystallographic defects. Despite these defects causing reductions in electrical conductivity, carrier concentration, and carrier mobility, large corresponding increases in the Seebeck coefficient and reductions in thermal conductivity lead to a significant net enhancement in thermoelectric performance. Crystal damage is deliberately introduced in a sub-surface nano-layer within a silicon substrate, demonstrating the possibility to tune the thermoelectric properties at the nano-scale within such wafers in a repeatable, large-scale, and cost-effective way.
Synthesis and Evaluation of a Biocompatible Macromolecular Gadolinium Compound as a Liver-Specific Contrast Agent for MRI
Authors: Zhan Youyang , Xue Rong , Zhang Mengchao , Wan Chuanling , Li Xiaojing , Pei Fengkui , Sun Changjiang , Liu Lin
Published: October 2016

A new macromolecular biocompatible gadolinium chelate complex (PAI-N2-DOTA-Gd) as a liver-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent was synthesised and evaluated. An aspartic acid–isoleucine copolymer was chemically linked with Gd-DOTA via ethylenediamine to give PAI-N2-DOTA-Gd. In vitro, the T1-relaxivity of PAI-N2-DOTA-Gd (14.38 mmol–1⋅L⋅s–1, 0.5 T) was much higher than that of the clinically used Gd-DOTA (4.96 mmol–1⋅L⋅s–1, 0.5 T), with obvious imaging signal enhancement. In the imaging experiments in vivo, PAI-N2-DOTA-Gd exhibited good liver selectivity, and had a greater intensity enhancement (68.8 ± 5.6 %) and a longer imaging window time (30–70 min), compared to Gd-DOTA (21.1 ± 5.3 %, 10–30 min). Furthermore, the in vivo histological studies of PAI-N2-DOTA-Gd showed a low acute toxicity and desirable biocompatibility. The results of this study indicate that PAI-N2-DOTA-Gd is a feasible liver-specific contrast agent for MRI.
Lability of secondary organic particulate matter
Authors: Liu Pengfei , Li Yong Jie , Wang Yan , Gilles Mary K. , Zaveri Rahul A. , Bertram Allan K. , Martin Scot T.
Published: October 2016

Significance

Mass lability of atmospheric organic particulate matter, meaning its tendency to evaporate, is an important property in the mechanisms governing the climate and health effects. This property can be governed by both the volatility and the molecular diffusivity of the constituent organic species. An experimental approach presented herein highlights a nonlabile-to-labile transition at a threshold humidity for material representative of anthropogenic particulate matter. The behavior differs markedly from materials representing biogenic sources, which lack such a transition. Accounting for this transition in the interpretation of laboratory datasets collected at low relative humidity can potentially reduce discrepancies between modeled and observed concentrations of particulate matter in urban regions.
Horizontal gene transfer is more frequent with increased heterotrophy and contributes to parasite adaptation
Authors: Yang Zhenzhen , Zhang Yeting , Wafula Eric K. , Honaas Loren A. , Ralph Paula E. , Jones Sam , Clarke Christopher R. , Liu Siming , Su Chun , Zhang Huiting , Altman Naomi S. , Schuster Stephan C. , Timko Michael P. , Yoder John I. , Westwood James H. , dePamphilis Claude W.
Published: October 2016

Significance

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the nonsexual transfer and genomic integration of genetic materials between organisms. In eukaryotes, HGT appears rare, but parasitic plants may be exceptions, as haustorial feeding connections between parasites and their hosts provide intimate cellular contacts that could facilitate DNA transfer between unrelated species. Through analysis of genome-scale data, we identified >50 expressed and likely functional HGT events in one family of parasitic plants. HGT reflected parasite preferences for different host plants and was much more frequent in plants with increasing parasitic dependency. HGT was strongly biased toward expression and protein types likely to contribute to haustorial function, suggesting that functional HGT of host genes may play an important role in adaptive evolution of parasites.
Synthetically derived bat influenza A-like viruses reveal a cell type- but not species-specific tropism
Authors: Moreira Étori Aguiar , Locher Samira , Kolesnikova Larissa , Bolte Hardin , Aydillo Teresa , García-Sastre Adolfo , Schwemmle Martin , Zimmer Gert
Published: October 2016

Significance

Since the discovery of bat influenza A-like genomic sequences (provisionally designated HL17NL10 and HL18NL11), it was uncertain whether these sequences encode infectious viruses and, if so, which cells might support propagation of these viruses. Using chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) encoding HL18 or HL17, a particular cell line of canine origin was found to be highly susceptible to infection. Taking advantage of this cell line, we succeeded to generate recombinant HL17NL10 and HL18NL11. These viruses revealed marked differences to conventional influenza A viruses because they do not use the same receptor, in addition to initiating infection from the basolateral site of polarized epithelial cells. The established reverse genetic system will undoubtedly help characterizing these hitherto uncultivable viruses.
Herbivore teeth predict climatic limits in Kenyan ecosystems
Authors: Žliobaitė Indrė , Rinne Janne , Tóth Anikó B. , Mechenich Michael , Liu Liping , Behrensmeyer Anna K. , Fortelius Mikael
Published: October 2016

Significance

The living conditions of plant-eating mammals can be modeled by reverse-engineering the functional shapes of their teeth. Here we introduced and tested a scoring scheme for describing functional properties of large mammalian herbivore teeth to capture their relationship to environmental conditions. We found that minimum Net Primary Productivity is the environmental variable best predicted by dental traits. These findings refine and provide direct biological context to previously reported results, where traits were found to predict overall climate rather than limiting conditions. We propose that nonavailability of the preferred plant foods (e.g., during dry seasons or longer dry periods), rather than the properties of average foods consumed, is the main functional link between climate and herbivore teeth.
Structure of the mitochondrial ATP synthase from
Pichia angusta
determined by electron cryo-microscopy
Authors: Vinothkumar Kutti R. , Montgomery Martin G. , Liu Sidong , Walker John E.
Published: October 2016

Significance

Living cells need fuel in the form of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, to stay alive. This fuel is generated by a molecular machine made of two motors joined by a rotor. One generates rotation by using energy provided by oxidative metabolism or photosynthesis; the other uses energy transmitted by the rotor to make ATP molecules from its building blocks, adenosine diphosphate, or ADP, and inorganic phosphate. The structure has been determined of a fungal machine, isolated from its cellular power stations, the mitochondria, where the machine operates. It provides unsuspected details of the blueprint of the machine and how it works. The working principles of the fungal machine apply to similar machines in all species.
The savings problem in the original position: assessing and revising a model
Authors: Brandstedt Eric
Published: October 2016

The common conception of justice as reciprocity seemingly is inapplicable to relations between non-overlapping generations. This is a challenge also to John Rawls’s theory of justice as fairness. This text responds to this by way of reinterpreting and developing Rawls’s theory. First, by examining the original position as a model, some revisions of it are shown to be wanting. Second, by drawing on the methodology of constructivism, an alternative solution is proposed: an amendment to the primary goods named ‘sustainability of values’. This revised original position lends support to intergenerational justice as fairness.
The isoflavone fraction from soybean presents mRNA maturation inhibition activity
Authors: Kurata Masashi , Murata Yuki , Momma Keiko , Fouad Ali Mursi Intisar , Takahashi Masakazu , Miyamae Yusaku , Kambe Taiho , Nagao Masaya , Narita Hiroshi , Shibuya Yasuyuki , Masuda Seiji
Published: October 2016

Recent findings indicate that mRNA splicing inhibitors can be potential anticancer candidates. We have previously established a screening system which monitors mRNA processing in order to identify mRNA processing inhibitors. Among a number of dietary resources, isoflavone fractions showed an inhibitory effect of mRNA processing. These findings demonstrate that a variety of dietary sources have an impact on mRNA biogenesis.
Hearing taboo words can result in early talker effects in word recognition for female listeners
Authors: Tuft Samantha E. , MᶜLennan Conor T. , Krestar Maura L.
Published: October 2016

Previous spoken word recognition research using the long-term repetition-priming paradigm found performance costs for stimuli mismatching in talker identity. That is, when words were repeated across the two blocks, and the identity of the talker changed reaction times (RTs) were slower than when the repeated words were spoken by the same talker. Such performance costs, or talker effects, followed a time course, occurring only when processing was relatively slow. More recent research suggests that increased explicit and implicit attention towards the talkers can result in talker effects even during relatively fast processing. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether word meaning would influence the pattern of talker effects in an easy lexical decision task and, if so, whether results would differ depending on whether the presentation of neutral and taboo words was mixed or blocked. Regardless of presentation, participants responded to taboo words faster than neutral words. Furthermore, talker effects for the female talker emerged when participants heard both taboo and neutral words (consistent with an attention-based hypothesis), but not for participants that heard only taboo or only neutral words (consistent with the time-course hypothesis). These findings have important implications for theoretical models of spoken word recognition.
InMoDe: tools for learning and visualizing intra-motif dependencies of DNA binding sites
Authors: Eggeling Ralf , Grosse Ivo , Grau Jan
Published: October 2016

Recent studies have shown that the traditional position weight matrix model is often insufficient for modeling transcription factor binding sites, as intra-motif dependencies play a significant role for an accurate description of binding motifs. Here, we present the Java application InMoDe, a collection of tools for learning, leveraging and visualizing such dependencies of putative higher order. The distinguishing feature of InMoDe is a robust model selection from a class of parsimonious models, taking into account dependencies only if justified by the data while choosing for simplicity otherwise.

Availability and Implementation

InMoDe is implemented in Java and is available as command line application, as application with a graphical user-interface, and as an integration into Galaxy on the project website at http://www.jstacs.de/index.php/InMoDe.
Species specific behaviour and catchability of gadoid fish to floated and bottom set pots
Authors: Anders Neil , Fernö Anders , Humborstad Odd-Børre , Løkkeborg Svein , Utne-Palm Anne Christine
Published: October 2016

To increase our understanding of the interaction between fish and baited fishing gear we quantitatively described the behaviour of cod (Gadus morhua), saithe (Pollachius virens), and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) to baited pots in a fjord in northern Norway. Detailed video analyses were made to describe species specific responses and examine the effect of lifting the pot off the bottom. The majority of both cod and saithe approached the pots in an upstream direction, and fish approached floated pots higher in the water column than bottom set pots. Cod tended to approach a pot along the seabed and were more likely to encounter the bottom set pot than the floated pot, whereas saithe more often approached in the water column. The capture efficiency was low for all species, but cod were more likely to be caught than saithe and haddock. Cod showed a high encounter rate, low entrance rate and high escape rate. For saithe, a low encounter rate was the chief factor limiting capture efficiency. The observed differences between cod and saithe were explained by species-specific food-search strategies. No difference in entrance rate, escape rate or catch efficiency between the two pot types were found.
Flares, wind and nebulae: the 2015 December mini-outburst of V404 Cygni
Authors: Mu noz-Darias T. , Casares J. , Mata Sánchez D. , Fender R. P. , Armas Padilla M. , Mooley K. , Hardy L. , Charles P. A. , Ponti G. , Motta S. E. , Dhillon V. S. , Gandhi P. , Jiménez Ibarra F. , Butterley T. , Carey S. , Grainge K. J. B. , Hickish J. , Littlefair S. P. , Perrott Y. C. , Razavi-Ghods N. , Rumsey C. , Scaife A. M. M. , Scott P. F. , Titterington D. J. , Wilson R. W.
Published: October 2016

After more than 26 years in quiescence, the black hole transient V404 Cyg went into a luminous outburst in June 2015, and additional activity was detected in late December of the same year. Here, we present an optical spectroscopic follow-up of the December mini-outburst, together with X-ray, optical and radio monitoring that spanned more than a month. Strong flares with gradually increasing intensity are detected in the three spectral ranges during the ∼10 days following the Swift trigger. Our optical spectra reveal the presence of a fast outflowing wind, as implied by the detection of a P-Cyg profile (He i–5876 Å) with a terminal velocity of ∼ 2500 km s−1 . Nebular-like spectra – with an Hα equivalent width of ∼500 Å – are also observed. All these features are similar to those seen during the main June 2015 outburst. Thus, the fast optical wind simultaneous with the radio jet is most likely present in every V404 Cyg outburst. Finally, we report on the detection of a strong radio flare in late January 2016, when X-ray and optical monitoring had stopped due to Sun constraints.
Technological Organization
Authors: Spry Caroline , Stern Nicola
Published: October 2016

In the English-speaking world, technological organization—also referred to as the organization of technology—is the predominant interpretative framework for inferring what the features of stone artifact assemblages can tell us about past human behavior, regardless of their chronological or geographical distribution. Lewis Binford originally conceived of technological organization as “the organizational characteristics within a technology which may be manipulated differently to effect acceptable adaptations for different situations” (see Binford 1979, cited under Technological Organization and Mobility, p. 255). Since then, technological organization has come to be defined more formally as “the study of the selection and integration of strategies for making, using, transporting, and discarding tools and the materials needed for their manufacture and maintenance” (see Nelson 1991, cited under General Overviews, p. 57). Studies of technological organization seek to investigate how stone tool technology can solve adaptive problems. This approach developed from ethnoarchaeological studies of the relationships among artifact assemblages, subsistence activities, and land-use patterns—such as John Yellen’s observations of the !Kung bushmen in the Kalahari Desert (see Yellen’s Archaeological Approaches to the Present: Models for Reconstructing the Past, New York: Academic Press, 1977), and Lewis Binford’s study of the Nunamiut Eskimos in Alaska (see Binford’s Nunamiut Ethnoarchaeology, New York: Academic Press, 1978). The literature on technological organization has identified a number of archaeological “signatures” for organizational differences that reflect different patterns of land use and planning (see Binford and Stone’s “Righteous Rocks” and Richard Gould: Some Observations on Misguided “Debate,” American Antiquity 50.1 (1985): 151–153). While this literature is vast, an overall sense of cohesion is lacking. This article identifies the key literature on the organization of technology, the different problems it can investigate, and how these problems can be approached. It is divided into eight parts: (1) general overviews, (2) fundamental principles of this approach, (3) analytical strategies using time and risk as measures, (4) the relationship between mobility and technology, (5) features of stone artifact assemblages from which information about mobility can be generated, (6) the impact of artifact use-life and the probability of discard on archaeological visibility, (7) examples of technological strategies that have been identified in the archaeological record, and (8) tool design.
Boer Wars
Authors: Miller Stephen M.
Published: October 2016

In an effort to bring political and economic rationalization to South Africa, the British pursued a plan of confederation. An important step toward accomplishing that goal was the annexation of the Transvaal in 1877. In late 1880, the Transvaal reasserted its independence and war erupted. Shortly after the humiliating defeat at Majuba in February 1881, Gladstone’s Liberal government eagerly sought a way out of the conflict. Two inconclusive peace “conventions” followed. New problems arose later in the century caused by the discovery of gold, the emergence of German power in the region, the awakening of Afrikaner nationalism, and the aggressive political pursuits of British administrators. Attempts to prevent a second war were pursued half-heartedly by Lord Milner, the British High Commissioner. As the British prepared an ultimatum, Paul Kruger, the president of the Transvaal, issued one of his own on 9 October 1899. The Second Anglo-Boer War, or South African War, began with a Boer invasion of the Cape Colony and Natal that led to the sieges of Ladysmith, Kimberley, and Mafeking. British attempts to break the sieges failed and culminated in Black Week in December 1899. Salisbury’s government struck back in the new year. Lord Roberts took command of a much larger force, strengthened by British volunteers and imperial troops, and drove through the Boer Republics. As the Boers embraced insurgency tactics, the conventional phase of the war came to an end. Lord Kitchener’s utilization of mounted drives and blockhouses, destruction of land and livestock, and the removal of civilians to concentration camps eventually destroyed the Boers capacity to continue the war. Peace came at Vereeniging on 31 May 1902. The scope of the second war naturally overshadowed the first in the literature. But important too were the growth in literacy and the drop in publishing costs. Whereas published memoirs and diaries trickled out after the first war, Great Britain witnessed a flood of literature even before the war had ended. Conan Doyle’s The Great Boer War was a bestseller and there was great interest in Leo Amery’s enormous project, The Times History of the War. Texts written in English vastly outnumbered those in Dutch and Afrikaans. Although historians showed continued interest in the war, it was not until the late 1970s that the production of quality scholarship, based on careful analysis of primary sources and exploring topics other than battles and leadership, became the norm. The centennial brought a resurgence of interest in the war and with it lots of fine new scholarship.
Spanish Cinema
Authors: D'Lugo Marvin
Published: October 2016

Far overshadowed by the cultural dynamism of its neighbors and constrained by its own slow industrial underdevelopment, Spain was not a propitious site for the development of a strong film industry or culture. When Spanish artists and businessmen did begin to engage in film-related activities, during the first decades of the 20th century, it was initially at the impetus of foreign entrepreneurs and the mediation of French or US artistic models. Not unexpectedly, the Spanish cinema that thrived in the years leading up to the Civil War (1936–1939) was a popular mass medium shaped in imitation of French and US models. After the calamitous Civil War, the Franco dictatorship’s censorship system helped maintain the impression, now debunked, that the film industry benignly functioned as the propagandistic arm of the state. It may be for that reason that no serious efforts at film history in Spain were attempted until the mid-1960s with the publication of Fernando Méndez-Leite’s wordy anecdotal history Historia del cine español (1965). Though something of an opposition cinema had begun to appear since the 1950s (Juan Antonio Bardem and Luis García Berlanga), it was not until the 1970s that we see the emergence of serious film scholarship by Spaniards. The Viridiana scandal of 1961 triggered interest in resistance cinema by foreign critics. The much heralded New Spanish Cinema of the mid-1960s, which brought Carlos Saura to international note through his third film, La caza (The Hunt, 1965), however, appeared to many as mere window dressing, the effort of the regime to suggest artistic freedom while little opposition at home was possible. Still, during the decade from the release of The Hunt an increasing number of opposition films, often disguised as allegorical narratives, won international praise at film festivals and suggested the birth of a growing film culture. Since the 1980s, the Spanish industry has gone through phases of growth with increased popular and artistic success at home and abroad. The meteoric rise of Pedro Almodóvar came to embody a new Spanish mentality reflected in the sexually liberated cinema of the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, Spanish film has diversified into new thematic areas—regional cinema, intensified gender representation, multiculturalism occasioned by the intensification of immigration to Spain from Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Yet such growth in substance and the advent of new overseas markets, principally in Latin America, has coincided with the marked decrease of Spanish film’s domestic youth market especially. Since the 2000s, Spanish cinema has increasingly been displaced by television and the accessibility of films on the Internet. Recent scholarship, in fact, has shifted to include substantive studies of television and audiovisual links to Latin America.
Temperate Coniferous Forests
Authors: Frelich Lee E.
Published: October 2016

Temperate conifer forests are geographically and taxonomically diverse, occurring on five continents (North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa). They contain some of the most iconic forests and tree species on the planet. Superlative examples include the rainforests of Douglas-fir, Sitka spruce, red cedar, and hemlock in the US Pacific Northwest and adjacent Canada, the largest known trees (giant sequoia), and the tallest known trees (Coast redwood) in California, and Fitzroya that live more than three thousand years in Chile. Elsewhere, conifer forests of lesser stature occupy vast tracts of land within the Earth’s temperate climate zones. Much of the forest has been logged, so that very little primary forest remains, and, in some regions, much of the forest has been converted to other land uses such as agriculture and cities. There are interesting biogeographic phenomena, such as physiognomically similar hemlock forests that occur in isolated areas, including the far western United States, northeastern United States, China, and Japan. Pine forests are a very important part of the temperate conifer biome, and they include a large variety of fire dependent forests composed of many pine species throughout much of North America, Europe, and Asia. Artificial conifer forests of Norway spruce and Scots pine occupy much of Europe, including sites that formerly supported deciduous hardwood forests, while plantation forests of loblolly pine occupy much of the southeastern United States, where they replace more complex natural forests that include loblolly along with other pine and hardwood species. Because of the proximity of temperate forests to large metropolitan areas and industrial areas, they provide a large quantity of forest products, such as timber and paper; constitute critical wildlife habitat; and meet the recreational needs of millions of people. Finally, these forests are in regions that will be heavily impacted by climate change. It is likely that the temperate zones will move poleward by several hundred kilometers by the end of the twenty-first century, and conservation issues related to overuse and fragmentation will be exaggerated by the changing climate and need for temperate species to migrate long distances.
Factors Affecting Speech Perception Improvement Post Implantation in Congenitally Deaf Adults
Authors: O’Gara Suzanne J. , Cullington Helen E. , Grasmeder Mary L. , Adamou Maria , Matthews Emily S.
Published: October 2016

Objectives:

To identify factors preimplantation associated with postimplantation speech perception improvement in the adult congenitally deaf population.

Design:

Forty-four adult cochlear implant (CI) patients who had a severe to profound hearing loss from birth were identified from this centre’s database. Eight preimplantation factors, speech intelligibility, preimplantation hearing levels, communication mode, preimplantation speech perception scores, progression of hearing loss, age at implantation, hearing aid use preimplantation, and gender, were recorded during the CI assessment process. These factors were investigated to determine their effect on speech perception improvement postimplantation. The outcome measures were the improvement in scores for the BKB Sentence test and CUNY Sentence test with lipreading after implantation. In the final analysis, 26 patients were included in the CUNY analysis, and 30 patients were included in the BKB analysis.

Results:

Speech intelligibility rating, preimplantation hearing levels, and communication mode were shown to be significantly associated with improvements in speech perception postimplantation.

Conclusion:

Three factors were identified that affected speech perception improvement postimplantation: speech intelligibility, preimplantation hearing levels, and communication mode. These factors can be used to counsel CI patients regarding potential speech perception improvements from cochlear implantation, although these are based on average data and may not reflect individual performance.
The Relationship Between Intensity Coding and Binaural Sensitivity in Adults With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Todd Ann E. , Goupell Matthew J. , Litovsky Ruth Y.
Published: October 2016

Objectives:

Many bilateral cochlear implant users show sensitivity to binaural information when stimulation is provided using a pair of synchronized electrodes. However, there is large variability in binaural sensitivity between and within participants across stimulation sites in the cochlea. It was hypothesized that within-participant variability in binaural sensitivity is in part affected by limitations and characteristics of the auditory periphery which may be reflected by monaural hearing performance. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between monaural and binaural hearing performance within participants with bilateral cochlear implants.

Design:

Binaural measures included dichotic signal detection and interaural time difference discrimination thresholds. Diotic signal detection thresholds were also measured. Monaural measures included dynamic range and amplitude modulation detection. In addition, loudness growth was compared between ears. Measures were made at three stimulation sites per listener.

Results:

Greater binaural sensitivity was found with larger dynamic ranges. Poorer interaural time difference discrimination was found with larger difference between comfortable levels of the two ears. In addition, poorer diotic signal detection thresholds were found with larger differences between the dynamic ranges of the two ears. No relationship was found between amplitude modulation detection thresholds or symmetry of loudness growth and the binaural measures.

Conclusions:

The results suggest that some of the variability in binaural hearing performance within listeners across stimulation sites can be explained by factors nonspecific to binaural processing. The results are consistent with the idea that dynamic range and comfortable levels relate to peripheral neural survival and the width of the excitation pattern which could affect the fidelity with which central binaural nuclei process bilateral inputs.
Surgery for bone sarcoma of the upper extremity
Authors: Montgomery Corey , Couch Cory , Nicholas Richard
Published: October 2016

Bone sarcomas arising in the upper extremity are uncommon. When they do occur in the upper extremity, the most common locations include the proximal humerus, scapula, and distal radius. Treatment of any location requires the appropriate knowledge of the various surgical techniques and reconstruction methods to offer the patient the best functional and oncological outcome. Surgically, the complex anatomy and finely interrelated structures of the upper extremity may limit some surgical options; nonetheless, limb-sparing techniques (despite sometimes narrow surgical margins) may provide both local tumor control and considerable functional advantages for these patients by reducing the surgical morbidity and loss of function. However, amputations still serve as a valuable and effective surgical option when limb-salvage is not feasible.
Bone sarcomas: an update of the recent literature
Authors: Jones Louis Baxter , Barr Jennifer Sobeski
Published: October 2016

This is a retrospective review of articles published within the last 2 yr on common bone sarcomas. Articles were selected based on the impact they had on clinical decision making for treatment of bone sarcoma.
Patient Eligibility for Randomized Controlled Trials in Critical Care Medicine: An International Two-Center Observational Study*
Authors: Ivie Ryan M. J. , Vail Emily A. , Wunsch Hannah , Goldklang Monica P. , Fowler Robert , Moitra Vivek K.
Published: October 2016

Objective:

We conducted this study to determine the generalizability of information gained from randomized controlled trials in critically ill patients by assessing the incidence of eligibility for each trial.

Design:

Prospective, observational cohort study. We identified the 15 most highly cited randomized controlled trials in critical care medicine published between 1998 and 2008. We examined the inclusion and exclusion criteria for each randomized controlled trial and then assessed the eligibility of each patient admitted to a study ICU for each randomized controlled trial and calculated rates of potential trial eligibility in the cohort.

Setting:

Three ICUs in two academic medical centers in Canada and the United States.

Patients:

Adults admitted to participating medical or surgical ICU in November 2010 or July 2011.

Measurements and Main Results:

Among the 15 trials, the most common trial inclusion criteria were clinical criteria for sepsis (six trials) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (four trials), use of invasive mechanical ventilation (five trials) or related to ICU type or duration of ICU stay (five trials). Of the 93 patients admitted to a study ICU, 52% of patients (n = 48) did not meet enrollment criteria for any studied randomized controlled trial and 30% (n = 28) were eligible for only one of the 15. Trial ineligibility was mostly due to failure to meet inclusion criteria (87% of screening assessments) rather than meeting specific exclusion criteria (52% of screening assessments). Of the positive screening assessments, 85% occurred on the first day of ICU admission.

Conclusions:

Slightly more than half of the patients assessed were not eligible for enrollment in any of 15 major randomized controlled trials in critical care, most often due to the absence of the specific clinical condition of study. The majority of patients who met criteria for a randomized controlled trial did so on the first day of ICU admission.
Advances and controversies in the management of medullary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Maia Ana Luiza , Wajner Simone Magagnin , Vargas Carla Vaz Ferreira
Published: October 2016

Purpose of review

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) comprises approximately 4% of all malignant thyroid neoplasms. Although the majority of patients have a good prognosis, a subgroup of patients develops progressive disease and requires systemic therapy. Here, we focused on the current MTC therapeutic approaches and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of molecular targeted therapies.

Recent findings

Targeted molecular therapies that inhibit RET and other tyrosine kinase receptors involved in angiogenesis have been shown to improve progression-free survival in patients with advanced MTC. Two drugs, vandetanib and cabozantinib, have been approved for the treatment of progressive or symptomatic MTC, and several others have exhibited variable efficacy. No tyrosine kinase inhibitor has been shown to improve survival. Although no definitive recommendation can currently be made, cumulative data indicate that knowledge of the tumor mutational profile may facilitate improvements in targeted therapy for MTC.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are effective therapeutic agents for the treatment of progressive MTC. Nevertheless, it is not clear who will benefit the most from therapy, and the decision regarding when and how to initiate the treatment should be made based on the patient's medical history and tumor behavior. Hopefully, in the near future, molecular profiling of MTC can be used to determine the most effective molecular therapeutic target.
Novel insights in the regulation and function of macrophages in the tumor microenvironment
Authors: Bolli Evangelia , Movahedi Kiavash , Laoui Damya , Van Ginderachter Jo A.
Published: October 2016

Purpose of review

Tumors contain not only cancer cells but also nontransformed types of cells, the stromal cells. A bidirectional interplay exists between transformed and nontransformed cells leading to tumor progression and metastasis. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the most abundant tumor-infiltrating leukocytes characterized by a high heterogeneity and plasticity. TAMs exhibit strong protumoral activities and are related to bad prognosis and worse overall survival in various cancer types.

Recent findings

Recent progress has delineated the existence of distinct TAM subsets in primary tumors and metastatic sites regulated by diverse mechanisms and triggering strong protumoral functions such as immunossuppression, angiogenesis, metastasis and resistance to current therapies.

Delineating the regulatory pathways governing TAM heterogeneity and activation could present a novel frontier in cancer therapy. TAM targeting/repolarization is considered as a promising novel therapeutic modality in combination with standard-of-care therapies or immuno checkpoint blockers.
Anatomy of the Cervicomental Region: Insights From an Anatomy Laboratory and Roundtable Discussion
Authors: Kenkel Jeffrey M. , Jones Derek H. , Fagien Steven , Glaser Dee Anna , Monheit Gary D. , Stauffer Karen , Sykes Jonathan M.
Published: October 2016

In 2015, ATX-101 (deoxycholic acid injection; Kybella in the United States and Belkyra in Canada; Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., Westlake Village, CA [an affiliate of Allergan plc, Dublin, Ireland]) was approved as a first-in-class injectable drug for reduction of submental fat. Use of a pharmacologic/injectable therapy within the submental region requires a thorough understanding of cervicomental anatomy to ensure proper injection technique and safe administration. To this end, an anatomy laboratory was conducted to review key external landmarks and important internal anatomic structures that characterize the lower face and anterior neck. External landmarks that define the boundaries of the cervicomental and submental regions were identified including the inferior mandibular border, the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the antegonial notch, the submental crease, the thyroid notch, and the hyoid bone. Relevant internal anatomic structures, including preplatysmal submental fat (the target tissue for ATX-101) and the platysma muscle as well as critical neurovascular and glandular tissues were revealed by dissection. Of particular interest was the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve because it typically courses along the inferior mandibular border near the proposed treatment area for ATX-101.
Combined exercise reduces arterial stiffness, blood pressure, and blood markers for cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women with hypertension
Authors: Son Won-Mok , Sung Ki-Dong , Cho Jae-Min , Park Song-Young
Published: October 2016

Objective:

Postmenopausal women exhibit elevated brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness, which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of combined resistance and aerobic exercise training on baPWV, blood pressure (BP), and cardiovascular fitness in postmenopausal women with stage 1 hypertension.

Methods:

Twenty postmenopausal women (age, 75 ± 2 y; systolic BP, 152 ± 2 mm Hg, diastolic BP, 95 ± 3 mm Hg) were randomly assigned to a “no-exercise” (CON, n = 10) or combined exercise (EX, n = 10) group. The EX group performed resistance and aerobic exercise for 12 weeks, 3 times per week. Exercise intensity was increased gradually, from 40% to 70% of heart rate reserve, every 4 weeks. BaPWV, BP, blood nitrite/nitrate, endothelin-1 (ET-1), cardiovascular fitness, and body composition were measured before and after the 12-week intervention.

Results:

BP, baPWV (−1.2 ± 0.4 m/s), ET-1 (−2.7 ± 0.3 μmol/mL), nitrite/nitrate (+4.5 ± 0.5 μM), functional capacity, and body composition were significantly improved (P < 0.05) in the EX group after 12 weeks of training, but no changes were observed in the CON group.

Conclusions:

These findings indicate that 12 weeks of combined exercise training improves arterial stiffness, BP, ET-1, blood nitrite/nitrate, functional capacity, and body composition in postmenopausal women with stage 1 hypertension. Thus, this study provides evidence that combined exercise training is a useful therapeutic method to improve cardiovascular health which can reduce cardiovascular disease risk in postmenopausal women with hypertension.
Short- and Long-term Effects of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients With Mild COPD
Authors: Jácome Cristina , Marques Alda
Published: October 2016

PURPOSE:

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is effective in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the effects of PR in patients with mild COPD have not yet been established. Thus, this study investigated the short- and long-term effects of PR in patients with mild COPD in comparison with patients with moderate to severe disease.

METHODS:

A total of 32 patients with mild (group 1) and 29 with moderate to severe (group 2) COPD completed the study. Both groups participated in a 12-week PR program with exercise training and psychosocial support and education. Outcome measures at baseline, 3 (post-PR), 6, and 9 months later included 6-minute walk test (6MWT); Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale; 1-repetition maximum chest press and knee extension; a brief physical activity assessment; the number of exacerbations in the past 3 months and the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ).

RESULTS:

Improvements in the 6MWT, chest press, knee extension, and physical activity were observed post-PR (P < .001), with no differences between the 2 groups. Reduction in the number of exacerbations (P < .001) and improvements in the SGRQ total (P < .001) were also observed, however, with greater magnitude in group 2 (P = .029 and P < .001, respectively). Except for peripheral muscle strength (P < .002), all the achieved benefits were sustained at 6 and 9 months (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS:

Pulmonary rehabilitation improves exercise tolerance, muscle strength, physical activity, and health-related quality of life and reduces exacerbations in patients with mild COPD as it does in patients with moderate to severe COPD. Moreover, most of these benefits were maintained at 9-month follow-up, suggesting that PR could be part of the management of mild COPD.