bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laser absorption via quantum electrodynamics cascades in counter propagating laser pulses
Authors: Grismayer T. , Vranic M. , Martins J. L. , Fonseca R. A. , Silva L. O.
Published: May 2016

A model for laser light absorption in electron–positron plasmas self-consistently created via QED cascades is described. The laser energy is mainly absorbed due to hard photon emission via nonlinear Compton scattering. The degree of absorption depends on the laser intensity and the pulse duration. The QED cascades are studied with multi-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations complemented by a QED module and a macro-particle merging algorithm that allows to handle the exponential growth of the number of particles. Results range from moderate-intensity regimes (∼10 PW) where the laser absorption is negligible to extreme intensities (>100 PW) where the degree of absorption reaches 80%. Our study demonstrates good agreement between the analytical model and simulations. The expected properties of the hard photon emission and the generated pair-plasma are investigated, and the experimental signatures for near-future laser facilities are discussed.
Evidence of a rolling motion of a microparticle on a silicon wafer in a liquid environment
Authors: Schiwek Simon , Meckel Tobias , Stark Robert W. , Dietz Christian
Published: May 2016

The interaction of micro- and nanometer-sized particles with surfaces plays a crucial role when small-scale structures are built in a bottom-up approach or structured surfaces are cleaned in the semiconductor industry. For a reliable quantification of the interaction between individual particles and a specific surface, however, the motion type of the particle must be known. We developed an approach to unambiguously distinguish between sliding and rolling particles. To this end, fluorescent particles were partially bleached in a confocal laser scanning microscope to tailor an optical inhomogeneity, which allowed for the identification of the characteristic motion pattern. For the manipulation, the water flow generated by a fast moving cantilever-tip of an atomic force microscope enabled the contactless pushing of the particle. We thus experimentally evidenced a rolling motion of a micrometer-sized particle directly with a fluorescence microscope. A similar approach could help to discriminate between rolling and sliding particles in liquid flows of microfluidic systems.
Single gate p-n junctions in graphene-ferroelectric devices
Authors: Hinnefeld J. Henry , Xu Ruijuan , Rogers Steven , Pandya Shishir , Shim Moonsub , Martin Lane W. , Mason Nadya
Published: May 2016

Graphene's linear dispersion relation and the attendant implications for bipolar electronics applications have motivated a range of experimental efforts aimed at producing p-n junctions in graphene. Here we report electrical transport measurements of graphene p-n junctions formed via simple modifications to a PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 substrate, combined with a self-assembled layer of ambient environmental dopants. We show that the substrate configuration controls the local doping region, and that the p-n junction behavior can be controlled with a single gate. Finally, we show that the ferroelectric substrate induces a hysteresis in the environmental doping which can be utilized to activate and deactivate the doping, yielding an “on-demand” p-n junction in graphene controlled by a single, universal backgate.
First-principles calculations of K-shell X-ray absorption spectra for warm dense nitrogen
Authors: Li Zi , Zhang Shen , Wang Cong , Kang Wei , Zhang Ping
Published: May 2016

X-ray absorption spectrum is a powerful tool for atomic structure detection on warm dense matter. Here, we perform first-principles molecular dynamics and X-ray absorption spectrum calculations on warm dense nitrogen along a Hugoniot curve. From the molecular dynamics trajectory, the detailed atomic structures are examined for each thermodynamical condition. The K-shell X-ray absorption spectrum is calculated, and its changes with temperature and pressure along the Hugoniot curve are discussed. The warm dense nitrogen systems may contain isolated nitrogen atoms, N2 molecules, and nitrogen clusters, which show quite different contributions to the total X-ray spectrum due to their different electron density of states. The changes of X-ray spectrum along the Hugoniot curve are caused by the different nitrogen structures induced by the temperature and the pressure. Some clear signatures on X-ray spectrum for different thermodynamical conditions are pointed out, which may provide useful data for future X-ray experiments.
Communication: Control of chemical reactions using electric field gradients
Authors: Deshmukh Shivaraj D. , Tsori Yoav
Published: May 2016

We examine theoretically a new idea for spatial and temporal control of chemical reactions. When chemical reactions take place in a mixture of solvents, an external electric field can alter the local mixture composition, thereby accelerating or decelerating the rate of reaction. The spatial distribution of electric field strength can be non-trivial and depends on the arrangement of the electrodes producing it. In the absence of electric field, the mixture is homogeneous and the reaction takes place uniformly in the reactor volume. When an electric field is applied, the solvents separate and the reactants are concentrated in the same phase or separate to different phases, depending on their relative miscibility in the solvents, and this can have a large effect on the kinetics of the reaction. This method could provide an alternative way to control runaway reactions and to increase the reaction rate without using catalysts.
Effect of a current blocking barrier on a 2–6 μm p-GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction infrared detector
Authors: Chauhan D. , Perera A. G. U. , Li L. H. , Chen L. , Linfield E. H.
Published: May 2016

We report the performance of a 30 period p-GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs heterojunction photovoltaic infrared detector, with graded barriers, operating in the 2–6 μm wavelength range. Implementation of a current blocking barrier increases the specific detectivity (D*) under dark conditions by two orders of magnitude to ∼1.9 × 1011 Jones at 2.7 μm, at 77 K. Furthermore, at zero bias, the resistance-area product (R0A) attains a value of ∼7.2 × 108 Ω cm2, a five orders enhancement due to the current blocking barrier, with the responsivity reduced by only a factor of ∼1.5.
Fatty acid composition and physicochemical and sensory characteristics of meat from ewe lambs supplemented with zilpaterol hydrochloride and soybean oil
Authors: Dávila-Ramírez J. L. , Avendaño-Reyes L. , Macías-Cruz U. , Peña-Ramos E. A. , Islava-Lagarda T. Y. , Zamorano-García L. , Valenzuela-Melendres M. , Camou J. P. , González-Ríos H.
Published: May 2016

The effects of supplementation of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH; 0 or 10 mg/lamb daily) and soybean oil (SBO; 0% or 6%) on carcass traits, body fat deposition, chemical, physicochemical, sensory quality, and fatty acid composition of the longissimus thoracis muscle (LTM) of ewe lambs were studied using a randomised complete design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. After a 32-day feeding period, all ewes were slaughtered and LTM collected. Interactions between ZH × SBO were not observed (P > 0.05) for any of the variables evaluated. Feedlot performance was not modified (P > 0.05) by ZH and SBO supplementation. Biological yield and hot carcass weight were increased by ZH supplementation (P < 0.05). ZH and SBO supplementation did not alter body fat deposition (kidney, pelvic and heart, renal, thickness and intramuscular fat) and the empty bodyweight (P > 0.05). Meanwhile, feeding ZH decreased colour parameters (L*, a*, b* and CHROMA) (P < 0.05), but not others characteristics of LTM (P > 0.05). Sensory panelists observed an increase in appearance (P < 0.001) by ZH supplementation. Additionally, ZH decreased (P < 0.05) the content of C20:5n3 (eicosapentaenoic acid), C22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid) and total omega-3 fatty acids, compared with the zero ZH group. Physicochemicals and sensory characteristics, and fatty acid composition of meat were not modified by SBO (P > 0.05). In conclusion, ZH supplementation to ewe lambs increased biological yield and hot carcass weight, without changes in body fat deposition and decreased eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and omega-3 contents and caused a decrease in colour of LTM. However, feeding SBO caused no changes in the carcass or meat quality traits and minimal changes in fatty acid composition of LTM.
When a local Hamiltonian must be frustration-free
Authors: Sattath Or , Morampudi Siddhardh C. , Laumann Chris R. , Moessner Roderich
Published: May 2016

Significance

Quantum computers promise computational power qualitatively superior to that achievable classically. This power will not be unlimited: Beyond much-touted applications, such as breaking encryption schemes, entire classes of problems are known to be intractable even for quantum computers. This work addresses a question of great practical relevance: In between these two extremes of certain (in)tractability, how can one efficiently diagnose the nature and properties of a given problem instance? To achieve this, we adopt a strategy of transferring insights from statistical physics and classical computing into the quantum realm. This provides a new perspective on the complexity of quantum problems and allows us to analyze a canonical class of quantum optimization problems in unprecedented explicit detail.
Antibody Responses After Analytic Treatment Interruption in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1-Infected Individuals on Early Initiated Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Stephenson Kathryn E. , Neubauer George H. , Bricault Christine A. , Shields Jennifer , Bayne Madeleine , Reimer Ulf , Pawlowski Nikolaus , Knaute Tobias , Zerweck Johannes , Seaman Michael S. , Rosenberg Eric S. , Barouch Dan H.
Published: May 2016

The examination of antibody responses in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected individuals in the setting of antiretroviral treatment (ART) interruption can provide insight into the evolution of antibody responses during viral rebound. In this study, we assessed antibody responses in 20 subjects in AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5187, wherein subjects were treated with antiretroviral therapy during acute/early HIV-1 infection, underwent analytic treatment interruption, and subsequently demonstrated viral rebound. Our data suggest that early initiation of ART arrests the maturation of HIV-1-specific antibody responses, preventing epitope diversification of antibody binding and the development of functional neutralizing capacity. Antibody responses do not appear permanently blunted, however, because viral rebound triggered the resumption of antibody maturation in our study. We also found that antibody responses measured by these assays did not predict imminent viral rebound. These data have important implications for the HIV-1 vaccine and eradication fields.
Search for a non-equilibrium plasma in the merging galaxy cluster Abell 754
Authors: Inoue Shota , Hayashida Kiyoshi , Ueda Shutaro , Nagino Ryo , Tsunemi Hiroshi , Koyama Katsuji
Published: May 2016

Abell 754 is a galaxy cluster in which an ongoing merger is evident on the plane of the sky, from the southeast to the northwest. We study the spatial variation of the X-ray spectra observed with Suzaku along the merging direction, centering on the Fe Ly α/Fe He α line ratio to search for possible deviation from ionization equilibrium. Fitting with a single-temperature collisional non-equilibrium plasma model shows that the electron temperature increases from the southeast to the northwest. The ionization parameter is consistent with that in equilibrium (net > 1013 s cm−3) except for the specific region with the highest temperature ($kT=13.3_{-1.1}^{+1.4}\:$keV) where $n_{\rm e}t=10^{11.6_{-1.7}^{+0.6}}\:$s cm−3. The elapsed time from the plasma heating estimated from the ionization parameter is 0.36–76 Myr at the 90% confidence level. This timescale is quite short but consistent with the traveling time of a shock to pass through that region. We thus interpret that the non-equilibrium ionization plasma in Abell 754 observed is a remnant of the shock heating in the merger process. However, we note that the X-ray spectrum of the specific region where the non-equilibrium is found can also be fitted with a collisional ionization plasma model with two temperatures, low $kT=4.2^{+4.2}_{-1.5}\:$keV and very high kT >19.3 keV. The very high temperature component is alternatively fitted with a power-law model. Either of these spectral models is interpreted as a consequence of the ongoing merger process as in the case of the non-equilibrium ionization plasma.
Surgical management of congenital torticollis in children older than 7 years with an average 10-year follow-up
Authors: Lepetsos Panagiotis , Anastasopoulos Panagiotis P. , Leonidou Andreas , Kenanidis Eustathios , Flieger Ioannis , Tsiridis Eleftherios , Macheras George A. , Leonidou Omiros
Published: May 2016

The aim of the present study is to present the results of the surgical management of late presenting cases of congenital muscular torticollis. Between 1990 and 2010, 31 cases of late presenting congenital muscular torticollis were managed surgically in our department. Postoperatively, head halter traction was applied for 10 days; a cervical brace was applied for 5 weeks, followed by a soft one collar for 3 months. The final result was assessed on the basis of the criteria of Cheng and Tang. In total, 84% of patients achieved an excellent final result and 16% of the patients achieved a good result. Our results indicated that in children older than 7 years, surgical release combined with appropriate orthosis and a structured physiotherapy regime can lead to satisfactory results.
LEBER CONGENITAL AMAUROSIS WITH LARGE RETINAL PIGMENT CLUMPS CAUSED BY COMPOUND HETEROZYGOUS MUTATIONS IN KCNJ13
Authors: Perez-Roustit Sarah , Marquette Virginie , Bocquet Béatrice , Kaplan Josseline , Perrault Isabelle , Meunier Isabelle , Hamel Christian P.
Published: May 2016

Purpose:

To describe a patient with mutations in KCNJ13 presenting particular clinical features.

Methods:

Standard ophthalmic examination, fundus autofluorescence, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, full-field electroretinography. The 3 exons of KCNJ13 were polymerase chain reaction amplified and Sanger sequenced.

Patients:

A 31-year-old man with Leber congenital amaurosis.

Results:

Patient had nystagmus since childhood, best-corrected visual acuity limited to 20/400 OD and 20/200 OS, and had cataracts extracted in both eyes. There were clumpy pigment deposits mostly in macular area, causing an uneven line of retinal pigment epithelium on spectral domain optical coherence tomography. In retinal parts devoid of pigment deposits around the optic disk and in periphery, retinal thickness was increased and hyperreflective formations were present either in the inner nuclear layer or in the outer nuclear layer. The patient was compound heterozygous for new mutations in KCNJ13 which encodes the Kir 7.1 potassium channel, c.314G>T (p.Ser105Ile) in exon 2 and c.655C>T (p.Gln219*) in exon 3. Both mutations were absent from databases.

Conclusion:

KCNJ13 mutations are responsible for early-onset retinal dystrophy, featuring remarkable clumpy pigment deposits at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium, suggesting dysfunction and disorganization of this tissue. Parts of the retina remain relatively preserved anatomically but are increased in thickness. This distinct fundus appearance should help in identifying the “KCNJ13 retinal dystrophy” to orient the molecular diagnosis.
ACUTE SEROUS RETINAL DETACHMENT IN IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION
Authors: Martiano David , Chevreaud Olivier , Lam Delphine , Cohen Salomon Y. , Souied Eric H.
Published: May 2016

Purpose:

To report the case of a 44-year-old woman with acute transient visual loss likely because of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Methods:

Case report imaged with fundus photographs, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence, and fluorescein and indocyanine green angiographies.

Results:

The patient complained of unilateral vision loss with metamorphopsia. Fundus examination of the right eye showed serous macular detachment and retinal folds. Fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography showed delayed choroidal filling with multiple choroidal perfusion defects and dye leakage from areas of multiple pigment epithelial detachments. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography showed a thick choroid. Medical history included idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension treated with tadalafil. Ocular signs regressed spontaneously within 1 week.

Conclusion:

Transient severe choroidal filling defects with subretinal exudation may be observed in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. The present case raised the questions of the triggering factor of the acute decompensation of the blood–retinal barrier and the cause of its spontaneous regression.
Ocular Surface Temperature During Scleral Lens Wearing in Patients With Keratoconus
Authors: Carracedo Gonzalo , Wang Zicheng , Serramito-Blanco Maria , Martin-Gil Alba , Carballo-Alvarez Jesús , Pintor Jesús
Published: May 2016

Objective:

To evaluate the ocular surface temperature using an infrared thermography camera before and after wearing scleral lens in patients with keratoconus and correlate these results with the tear production and stability.

Methods:

A pilot, experimental, short-term study has been performed. Twenty-six patients with keratoconus (36.95±8.95 years) participated voluntarily in the study. The sample was divided into two groups: patients with intrastromal corneal ring (KC-ICRS group) and patients without ICRS (KC group). Schirmer test, tear breakup time (TBUT), and ocular surface temperature in the conjunctiva, limbus, and cornea were evaluated before and after wearing a scleral lens.

Results:

The patients wore the scleral lenses from 6 to 9 hours with average of 7.59±0.73 hours. No significant changes in Schirmer test and TBUT were found for both groups. No temperature differences were found between the KC-ICRS and the KC groups for all zones evaluated. There was a slight, but statistically significant, increase in the inferior cornea, temporal limbus, and nasal conjunctival temperature for KC-ICRS group and temporal limbus temperature decreasing for the KC group after wearing scleral lens (P<0.05). The conjunctiva and limbus temperature was statistically higher than the central cornea for both groups before and after scleral lenses wearing (P<0.05), but no difference in the peripheral cornea was found. No statistically significant differences in the central corneal temperature were found between the groups after scleral lens wearing (P>0.05).

Conclusion:

Scleral contact lens seems not to modify the ocular surface temperature despite the presence of the tear film stagnation under the lens.
Effect of psychosocial stressors on patients with Crohn’s disease: threatening life experiences and family relations
Authors: Slonim-Nevo Vered , Sarid Orly , Friger Michael , Schwartz Doron , Chernin Elena , Shahar Ilana , Sergienko Ruslan , Vardi Hillel , Rosenthal Alexander , Mushkalo Alexander , Dizengof Vitaly , Ben-Yakov Gil , Abu-Freha Naim , Munteanu Daniella , Gaspar Nava , Eidelman Leslie , Segal Arik , Fich Alexander , Greenberg Dan , Odes Shmuel
Published: May 2016

Background and aims

Threatening life experiences and adverse family relations are major psychosocial stressors affecting mental and physical health in chronic illnesses, but their influence in Crohn’s disease (CD) is unclear. We assessed whether these stressors would predict the psychological and medical condition of CD patients.

Methods

Consecutive adult CD patients completed a series of instruments including demography, Patient Harvey–Bradshaw Index (P-HBI), Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ), short-form survey instrument (SF-36), brief symptom inventory (BSI), family assessment device (FAD), and list of threatening life experiences (LTE). Associations of FAD and LTE with P-HBI, SIBDQ, SF-36, and BSI were examined by multiple linear and quantile regression analyses.

Results

The cohort included 391 patients, mean age 38.38±13.95 years, 59.6% women, with intermediate economic status. The median scores were as follows: P-HBI 4 (2–8), FAD 1.67 (1.3–2.1), LTE 1 (0–3), SF-36 physical health 43.75 (33.7–51.0), SF-36 mental health 42.99 (34.1–51.9), and BSI-Global Severity Index 0.81 (0.4–1.4). The SIBDQ was 47.27±13.9. LTE was associated with increased P-HBI in all quantiles and FAD in the 50% quantile. FAD and LTE were associated with reduced SIBDQ (P<0.001). Higher LTE was associated with lower SF-36 physical and mental health (P<0.001); FAD was associated with reduced mental health (P<0.001). FAD and LTE were associated positively with GSI in all quantiles; age was associated negatively.

Conclusion

CD patients with more threatening life experiences and adverse family relations were less healthy both physically and mentally. Physicians offering patients sociopsychological therapy should relate to threatening life experiences and family relations.
APOBEC3A/B-induced mutagenesis is responsible for 20% of heritable mutations in the TpCpW context
Authors: Seplyarskiy Vladimir B. , Andrianova Maria A. , Bazykin Georgii A.
Published: May 2016

APOBEC3A/B cytidine deaminase is responsible for the majority of cancerous mutations in a large fraction of cancer samples. However, its role in heritable mutagenesis remains very poorly understood. Recent studies have demonstrated that both in yeast and in human cancerous cells, most of APOBEC3A/B-induced mutations occur on the lagging strand during replication. Here, we use data on rare human polymorphisms, interspecies divergence, and de novo mutations to study germline mutagenesis, and analyze mutations at nucleotide contexts prone to attack by APOBEC3A/B. We show that such mutations occur preferentially on the lagging strand. Moreover, we demonstrate that APOBEC3A/B-like mutations tend to produce strand-coordinated clusters, which are also biased towards the lagging strand. Finally, we show that the mutation rate is increased 3’ of C→G mutations to a greater extent than 3’ of C→T mutations, suggesting pervasive translesion bypass of the APOBEC3A/B-induced damage. Our study demonstrates that 20% of C→T and C→G mutations segregating as polymorphisms in human population are attributable to APOBEC3A/B activity.
WEVOTE: Weighted Voting Taxonomic Identification Method of Microbial Sequences
Authors: Metwally Ahmed A. , Dai Yang , Finn Patricia W. , Perkins David L.
Published: May 2016

Metagenome shotgun sequencing presents opportunities to identify organisms that may prevent or promote disease. The analysis of sample diversity is achieved by taxonomic identification of metagenomic reads followed by generating an abundance profile. Numerous tools have been developed based on different design principles. Tools achieving high precision can lack sensitivity in some applications. Conversely, tools with high sensitivity can suffer from low precision and require long computation time. In this paper, we present WEVOTE (WEightedVOtingTaxonomic idEntification), a method that classifies metagenome shotgun sequencing DNA reads based on an ensemble of existing methods usingk-mer-based, marker-based, and naive-similarity based approaches. Our evaluation on fourteen benchmarking datasets shows that WEVOTE improves the classification precision by reducing false positive annotations while preserving a high level of sensitivity. WEVOTE is an efficient and automated tool that combines multiple individual taxonomic identification methods to produce more precise and sensitive microbial profiles. WEVOTE is developed primarily to identify reads generated by MetaGenome Shotgun sequencing. It is expandable and has the potential to incorporate additional tools to produce a more accurate taxonomic profile. WEVOTE was implemented using C++ and shell scripting and is available atwww.bitbucket.org/ametwally/wevote
Ring-strain release in neutral and dicationic 7,8,17,18-tetrabromo-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin: crystal structures of C44H26Br4N4and C44H28Br4N42+·2ClO4−·3CH2Cl2
Authors: Scheidt W. Robert , Duval Hugues F. , Oliver Allen G.
Published: May 2016

Two porphyrin complexes were studied to determine the effects of protonation on ring deformation within the porphyrin. The porphyrin 7,8,17,18-tetrabromo-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin, C44H26Br4N4, was selected because the neutral species is readily doubly protonated to yield a dication, which was crystallized here with perchlorate counter-ions as a dichloromethane trisolvate, C44H28Br4N42+·2ClO4−·3CH2Cl2. The centrosymmetric neutral species is observed to have a mild `ruffling' of the pyrrole rings and is essentially planar throughout; intramolecular N—H...N hydrogen bonds occur. In contrast, the dication exhibits considerable deformation, with the pyrrole rings oriented well out of the plane of the porphyrin, resulting in a `saddle' conformation of the ring. The charged species forms N—H...O hydrogen bonds to the perchlorate anions, which lie above and below the plane of the porphyrin ring. Distortions to the planarity of the pyrrole rings in both cases are very minor. The characterization of the neutral species represents a low-temperature redetermination of the previous room-temperature analyses [Zouet al.(1995).Acta Cryst.C51, 760–761; Rayatiet al.(2008).Polyhedron, pp. 2285–2290], which showed disorder and physically unrealistic displacement parameters.
Crystal structure of hexakis(dimethylformamide-κO)manganese(II) decakis(dimethylformamide)-1κ5O,2κ5O-[μ-octadecatungstodiphosphato(V)-κO:κO′]dimanganate(II) dimethylformamide disolvate
Authors: Dhifallah Fatma , Belkhiria Mohamed Salah
Published: May 2016

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Mn(C3H7NO)6][{Mn(C3H7NO)5}2(μ-P2W18O62)]·2C3H7NO, reveals that the Wells–Dawson-type polyanion [P2W18O62]6−, through terminal O atoms from the belts, bridges two MnIIoctahedral complexes. In the complex anion [{Mn(dmf)5}2(μ-P2W18O62)]2−, located around a twofold rotation axis, the MnIIions are coordinated by five O atoms from dimethylformamide (dmf) ligands and to a terminal O atom from the [P2W18O62]6−polyanion. Another MnIIion, located on an inversion centre, is coordinated by six O atoms from the dmf ligands and forms the [Mn(dmf)6]2+cation. The crystal components are connected through numerous weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds to construct a three-dimensional network.
Ethyl 2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)quinoline-4-carboxylate: a second triclinic polymorph
Authors: Shashidhar Bharadwaj S. , Kumara Karthik , Poojary Boja , Yathirajan H. S. , Byrappa K. , Lokanath N. K. , Madan Kumar S.
Published: May 2016

The title compound, C18H13F2NO2, is a polymorph of the structure reported by Sunithaet al.[Acta Cryst.(2015), E71, o341–o342]. Both compounds crystallize in the triclinic space groupP-1. The principal difference between the two polymorphs lies in the orientation of the carboxylate substituents with respect to the planes of the quinoline ring systems. In the crystal, the packing features C—H...O hydrogen bonds together with short C—F...π and π–π interactions [inter-centroid distances of 3.8199 (11), 3.6825 (12) and 3.8722 (13) Å].
Leadership metaphors
Authors: Duncan Edmonstone John
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to suggest that the language typically used about leadership in healthcare tells us something important about how we see it.

Design/methodology/approach

Three main metaphors currently adopted for healthcare leadership purposes are explored – military, sporting and finance.

Findings

The language used about leadership sustains the way the world is seen. A more life-affirming use of language is possible, which more accurately reflects what healthcare is about.

Originality/value

The paper builds on the work of Gareth Morgan in applying the use of metaphors to healthcare leadership.
Statin‐induced liver injury in an area endemic for hepatitis B virus infection: risk factors and outcome analysis
Authors: Wang Li Yueh , Huang Yi‐Shin , Perng Chin‐Lin , Huang Bryan , Lin Han‐Chieh
Published: May 2016

Aims

Statin‐induced liver injury (SILI) is quite rare, but may be severe. Little is known about the impact of chronic hepatitis B infection (CHBI) on SILI. We aimed to investigate the risk factors and outcome of SILI, with special reference to its interaction with CHBI.

Methods

Patients with SILI were recruited from our hospital, and three‐to‐one drug‐matched controls were randomly selected. The clinical data of the patients were then compared.

Results

A total of 108 patients with SILI and 324 controls were enrolled. The patients with SILI were both older and had a higher statin dose than the controls. There was no predilection of liver injury associated with the seven available statins. Among the SILI patients, there was no statistical difference between the baseline and peak liver enzyme tests, and latency and severity between hepatitis B carriers (n = 16) and non‐carriers (n = 92). High dose of statin and age were the two independent risk factors of SILI (OR and 95% CI: 1.93, 1.08–3.35, P = 0.025, and 1.73, 1.07–2.80, P = 0.027, respectively). Permanent discontinuation of statin was noted in 50 (46.3%) patients with SILI due to severe SILI or recurrent hepatotoxicity after rechallenge of other statins.

Conclusion

High dose of statin and old age may increase patient susceptibility to SILI; however, CHBI and abnormal baseline liver tests are not risk factors of SILI. Nonetheless, SILI is still worthy of notice, because nearly half of the overt cases discontinued statin treatment due to severe hepatotoxicity in this study.
Medical Need, Equality, and Uncertainty
Authors: Horne L. Chad
Published: May 2016

Many hold that distributing healthcare according to medical need is a requirement of equality. Most egalitarians believe, however, that people ought to be equal on the whole, by some overall measure of well‐being or life‐prospects; it would be a massive coincidence if distributing healthcare according to medical need turned out to be an effective way of promoting equality overall. I argue that distributing healthcare according to medical need is important for reducing individuals' uncertainty surrounding their future medical needs. In other words, distributing healthcare according to medical need is a natural feature of healthcare insurance; it is about indemnity, not equality.
Determinants of bird conservation‐action implementation and associated population trends of threatened species
Authors: Luther David A. , Brooks Thomas M. , Butchart Stuart H.M. , Hayward Matt W. , Kester Marieke E. , Lamoreux John , Upgren Amy
Published: May 2016

Conservation actions, such as habitat protection, attempt to halt the loss of threatened species and help their populations recover. The efficiency and the effectiveness of actions have been examined individually. However, conservation actions generally occur simultaneously, so the full suite of implemented conservation actions should be assessed. We used the conservation actions underway for all threatened and near‐threatened birds of the world (International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species) to assess which biological (related to taxonomy and ecology) and anthropogenic (related to geoeconomics) factors were associated with the implementation of different classes of conservation actions. We also assessed which conservation actions were associated with population increases in the species targeted. Extinction‐risk category was the strongest single predictor of the type of conservation actions implemented, followed by landmass type (continent, oceanic island, etc.) and generation length. Species targeted by invasive nonnative species control or eradication programs, ex situ conservation, international legislation, reintroduction, or education, and awareness‐raising activities were more likely to have increasing populations. These results illustrate the importance of developing a predictive science of conservation actions and the relative benefits of each class of implemented conservation action for threatened and near‐threatened birds worldwide.
Bud break responds more strongly to daytime than night‐time temperature under asymmetric experimental warming
Authors: Rossi Sergio , Isabel Nathalie
Published: May 2016

Global warming is diurnally asymmetric, leading to a less cold, rather than warmer, climate. We investigated the effects of asymmetric experimental warming on plant phenology by testing the hypothesis that daytime warming is more effective in advancing bud break than night‐time warming. Bud break was monitored daily in Picea mariana seedlings belonging to 20 provenances from Eastern Canada and subjected to daytime and night‐time warming in growth chambers at temperatures varying between 8 and 16 °C. The higher advancements of bud break and shorter times required to complete the phenological phases occurred with daytime warming. Seedlings responded to night‐time warming, but still with less advancement of bud break than under daytime warming. No advancement was observed when night‐time warming was associated with a daytime cooling. The effect of the treatments was uniform across provenances. Our observations realized under controlled conditions allowed to experimentally demonstrate that bud break can advance under night‐time warming, but to a lesser extent than under daytime warming. Prediction models using daily timescales could neglect the diverging influence of asymmetric warming and should be recalibrated for higher temporal resolutions.
Enhanced summer warming reduces fungal decomposer diversity and litter mass loss more strongly in dry than in wet tundra
Authors: Christiansen Casper T. , Haugwitz Merian S. , Priemé Anders , Nielsen Cecilie S. , Elberling Bo , Michelsen Anders , Grogan Paul , Blok Daan
Published: May 2016

Many Arctic regions are currently experiencing substantial summer and winter climate changes. Litter decomposition is a fundamental component of ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycles, with fungi being among the primary decomposers. To assess the impacts of seasonal climatic changes on litter fungal communities and their functioning, Betula glandulosa leaf litter was surface‐incubated in two adjacent low Arctic sites with contrasting soil moisture regimes: dry shrub heath and wet sedge tundra at Disko Island, Greenland. At both sites, we investigated the impacts of factorial combinations of enhanced summer warming (using open‐top chambers; OTCs) and deepened snow (using snow fences) on surface litter mass loss, chemistry and fungal decomposer communities after approximately 1 year. Enhanced summer warming significantly restricted litter mass loss by 32% in the dry and 17% in the wet site. Litter moisture content was significantly reduced by summer warming in the dry, but not in the wet site. Likewise, fungal total abundance and diversity were reduced by OTC warming at the dry site, while comparatively modest warming effects were observed in the wet site. These results suggest that increased evapotranspiration in the OTC plots lowered litter moisture content to the point where fungal decomposition activities became inhibited. In contrast, snow addition enhanced fungal abundance in both sites but did not significantly affect litter mass loss rates. Across sites, control plots only shared 15% of their fungal phylotypes, suggesting strong local controls on fungal decomposer community composition. Nevertheless, fungal community functioning (litter decomposition) was negatively affected by warming in both sites. We conclude that although buried soil organic matter decomposition is widely expected to increase with future summer warming, surface litter decay and nutrient turnover rates in both xeric and relatively moist tundra are likely to be significantly restricted by the evaporative drying associated with warmer air temperatures.
Too little sleep and too much sleep among older adults: Associations with self‐reported sleep medication use, sleep quality and healthcare utilization
Authors: Choi Namkee G , DiNitto Diana M , Marti C Nathan , Choi Bryan Y
Published: May 2016

Aim

The present study examined relationships among older adults' sleep duration (1–5 h and ≥10 h vs 6–9 h), sleep medication use, sleep quality and healthcare use.

Methods

The 2013 USA National Health Interview Survey provided data on a sample of 7196 community‐dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years. Bivariate analyses and multivariate regression analyses were used to examine study questions.

Results

Of the sample, 85% slept 6–9 h on average, 8% slept 1–5 h and 7% slept ≥10 h. One‐sixth of optimal sleepers, one‐quarter of short sleepers and one‐fifth of long sleepers used sleep medications at least once in the preceding week. Medication intake of one to two times, as opposed to non‐use, was associated with a greater risk of short than optimal sleep (RRR 1.60, 95% CI 1.03–2.48). Short sleep was positively, but long sleep was negatively associated with trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Any medication use was positively associated with trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Short sleep was associated with greater odds of emergency department visits (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.06–1.77), whereas long sleep was associated with greater odds of an overnight hospital stay (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.04–2.11) and home care use (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.37–4.41). Medication intake one to two times was associated with greater odds of emergency department visits (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.11–1.98).

Conclusions

Sleep medication use does not appear to promote sleep health. Both short and long sleep durations are associated with a higher likelihood of healthcare use. Clinicians need to examine older adults' sleep health and medication use, and their effects on healthcare use. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 545–553.
Laboratory diagnosis of anemia: are the old and new red cell parameters useful in classification and treatment, how?
Authors: Buttarello M.
Published: May 2016

Introduction

Anemia is a global problem affecting the population in both developing and developed countries, and there is a debate on which hemoglobin level limit should be used to define anemia in general population and particularly in the elderly. We present herein a laboratory approach to diagnosing the possible causes of anemia based on traditional and new erythroid parameters. In this article, we provide practical diagnostic algorithms that address to differential diagnosis of anemia. Based on both morphological and kinetic classifications, three patterns were considered: microcytic, normocytic, and macrocytic.

Methods

Main interest is on the clinical usefulness of old and new parameters such as mean cell volume (MCV), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), hypochromic and microcytic erythrocytes, immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF), and some reticulocyte indices such as reticulocyte hemoglobin content and mean reticulocyte volume. The pathophysiologic basis is reviewed in terms of bone marrow erythropoiesis, evaluated by reticulocyte count (increased or normal/decreased) and IRF. The utility of reticulocyte indices in the diagnosis of iron‐deficient erythropoiesis (absolute or functional) and in monitoring of response to treatment in nutritional anemia (iron and cobalamin) was also investigated.

Results

For each parameter, the availability, the possible clinical applications, and the limitations were evaluated. A discussion on intraindividual biological variation and its implication on the usefulness of conventional reference intervals and in longitudinal monitoring of the patients was also reported.

Conclusion

Red cell parameters and reticulocyte indices play an essential role in differential diagnosis of anemia and in its treatment. More efforts are needed in harmonizing parameters whose results are still too different when produced by different analyzers.
Which Child Immigrants Face Earnings Disparity? Age‐at‐immigration, Ethnic Minority Status and Labour Market Attainment in Canada
Authors: Pendakur Krishna , Pendakur Ravi
Published: May 2016

Using Canadian Census microdata from 1990 to 2005, we investigate the earnings attainment of immigrants to Canada in 6 age‐at‐arrival cohorts. In comparison to past work we extend our understanding regarding three dimensions of the age at immigration debate: we explore heterogeneity across fine grained age‐at‐arrival cohorts, over a fifteen‐year period and across different ethnic groups. We find that white immigrants and female immigrants arriving in Canada prior to age 18 face little earnings disparity. In contrast, visible minority male immigrants face significant earnings disparity regardless of their age‐at‐migration, and additionally this disparity increases sharply with age‐at‐migration. We find a break in earnings attainment at an age‐of‐arrival of 17, with immigrants arriving after this age performing much worse than those arriving at this age or earlier. The patterns observed are found for visible minority immigrants as a whole, and for Chinese, South Asian and African/Black origin immigrants examined separately.
Comprehensive panel of cross‐reacting monoclonal antibodies for analysis of different immune cells and their distribution in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)
Authors: Neumann Berit , Shi Tingchuan , Gan Li Lin , Klippert Antonina , Daskalaki Maria , Stolte‐Leeb Nicole , Stahl‐Hennig Christiane
Published: May 2016

Background

Common marmosets are extensively used in immunological and pharmacological research, and the usage of methods such as flow cytometry gain increasing importance.

Methods

Using multicolor flow cytometry cross‐reactivity of monoclonal antibodies with cells of common marmosets was analyzed. Furthermore, frequencies of immune cells and immunological parameters were assessed in healthy common marmosets.

Results

A total of 97 clones of monoclonal antibodies raised against CD markers, chemokine receptors, and miscellaneous markers were tested. Additionally, baseline frequencies of different innate and adaptive immune cells as well as certain parameters, such as activation and memory T‐cell and B‐cell distribution, are provided.

Conclusion

Our study gives an extended overview of cross‐reactive antibodies for flow cytometric analysis of immune cells as well as baseline values for different immune parameters in healthy common marmosets.
Low serum vitamin D is associated with higher cortical porosity in elderly men
Authors: Sundh D. , Mellström D. , Ljunggren Ö. , Karlsson M. K. , Ohlsson C. , Nilsson M. , Nilsson A. G. , Lorentzon M.
Published: May 2016

Background

Bone loss at peripheral sites in the elderly is mainly cortical and involves increased cortical porosity. However, an association between bone loss at these sites and 25‐hydroxyvitamin D has not been reported.

Objective

To investigate the association between serum levels of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D, bone microstructure and areal bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly men.

Methods

A population‐based cohort of 444 elderly men (mean ± SD age 80.2 ± 3.5 years) was investigated. Bone microstructure was measured by high‐resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography, areal BMD by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry and serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels by immunoassay.

Results

Mean cortical porosity at the distal tibia was 14.7% higher (12.5 ± 4.3% vs. 10.9 ± 4.1%, P < 0.05) whilst cortical volumetric BMD, area, trabecular bone volume fraction and femoral neck areal BMD were lower in men in the lowest quartile of vitamin D levels compared to the highest. In men with vitamin D deficiency (<25 nmol L−1) or insufficiency [25–49 nmol L−1, in combination with an elevated serum level of parathyroid hormone (>6.8 pmol L−1)], cortical porosity was 17.2% higher than in vitamin D‐sufficient men (P < 0.01). A linear regression model including age, weight, height, daily calcium intake, physical activity, smoking vitamin D supplementation and parathyroid hormone showed that 25‐hydroxyvitamin D independently predicted cortical porosity (standardized β = −0.110, R2 = 1.1%, P = 0.024), area (β = 0.123, R2 = 1.4%, P = 0.007) and cortical volumetric BMD (β = 0.125, R2 = 1.4%, P = 0.007) of the tibia as well as areal BMD of the femoral neck (β = 0.102, R2 = 0.9%, P = 0.04).

Conclusion

Serum vitamin D is associated with cortical porosity, area and density, indicating that bone fragility as a result of low vitamin D could be due to changes in cortical bone microstructure and geometry.
Morphology of the nucho‐dorsal glands and related defensive displays in three species of Asian natricine snakes
Authors: Mori A. , Jono T. , Takeuchi H. , Ding L. , de Silva A. , Mahaulpatha D. , Tang Y.
Published: May 2016

Many animals are equipped with specialized defensive systems that function in a coordinated manner involving morphological structure, physiological processes and behaviour. Nucho‐dorsal glands, unusual organs known in a few Asian natricine snakes, are believed to function in avoidance of predation, based on the defensive function of similar organs in a related Japanese species that sequesters prey toxins and stores them in the glands. We examined the arrangement of the nucho‐dorsal glands of Rhabdophis nuchalis, R. pentasupralabialis and Macropisthodon plumbicolor and tested behavioural responses to tapping stimulation to investigate the spatial distribution of glands on the body and related defensive displays respectively. We confirmed the presence of glands that extend from the neck along the length of the body in all three species. The spatial arrangement of the glands was similar between the two Rhabdophis species, but it differed substantially in M. plumbicolor. In M. plumbicolor, there were two uninterrupted rows of glands throughout the full length of the body, whereas in the two Rhabdophis species, the position and size of the glands differed between the neck and trunk regions, with the two series separated by a spatial gap. In spite of these structural differences, M. plumbicolor and R. pentasupralabialis exhibited a similar defensive display, which we refer to as body lift, in response to a tapping stimulus on the body. Our study shows detailed morphological features of the nucho‐dorsal glands and a novel display that are consistent with the presumed predator deterrent function of the glands, which have evolved as a unique defensive system in this lineage of snakes.
“Please Check the Appropriate Box”: Documents and the Governance of Domestic Violence
Authors: Singh Rashmee
Published: May 2016

This analysis examines the effects of administrative templates on legal responses to domestic violence. The discussion focuses on a set of intake forms deployed by a team of grassroots workers who routinely attend Toronto's specialized domestic violence plea courts to enroll defendants into counseling programs. Although these documents are nothing more than mundane, administrative forms, they are crucial to generating the formations required to govern domestic violence through the criminal justice and community partnerships on which the plea courts rely. Along with redefining the responsibilities of the legal and grassroots actors involved in the court network, the documents also generate and formalize notions of wrongdoing that prove to be far more effective in resolving cases than traditional guilty pleas. This analysis illuminates how forms permit the retreat and reassertion of state sovereignty as required in legal regimes involving devolution. It also underscores the methodological importance of constitutive analyses of documents to illuminating machinations of penal power.