bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unreported workplace violence in nursing
Authors: Kvas A. , Seljak J.
Published: May 2014

Background

Workplace violence occurs on a frequent basis in nursing. Most violent acts remain unreported. Consequently, we do not know the actual frequency of the occurrence of workplace violence. This requires research of nurses’ actions following workplace violence and identification of reasons why most victims do not report violent acts in the appropriate manner.

Aim

To explore violence in nursing as experienced by nurses in Slovenia.

Methods

A survey was carried out with a representative sample of nurses in Slovenia. The questionnaire Workplace Violence in Nursing was submitted to 3756 nurses, with 692 completing the questionnaire.

Results

A total of 61.6% of the nurses surveyed had been exposed to violence in the past year. Most victims were exposed to psychological (60.1%) and economic violence (28.9%). Victims reported acts of violence in formal written form in a range from 6.5% (psychological violence) to 10.9% (physical violence). The largest share of victims who did not report violence and did not speak to anyone about it were victims of sexual violence (17.9%). The main reason for not reporting the violence was the belief that reporting it would not change anything, followed by the fear of losing one's job.

Conclusions

Only a small share of the respondents reported violence in written form, the main reason being the victims’ belief that reporting it would not change anything. This represents a severe criticism of the system for preventing workplace violence for it reveals the failure of response by leadership structures in healthcare organizations.

Implications for Nursing and Health Policy

Professional associations and the education system must prepare nurses for the prevention of violence and appropriate actions in the event of violent acts. Healthcare organizations must ensure the necessary conditions for enabling and encouraging appropriate actions following violent acts according to relevant protocols.
Elaboration, Structure, and Intense Upconversion in Transparent KYb2F7:Ho3+ Glass‐Ceramics
Authors: Wei YunLe , Yang HeMing , Li XiaoMan , Wang LongJun , Guo Hai
Published: May 2014

Novel transparent oxyfluoride glass‐ceramics containing KYb2F7:Ho3+ nanocrystals were successfully elaborated by melt‐quenching technique with further thermal treatment for the first time. Their structural and luminescent properties were investigated systemically by XRD, HRTEM, absorption spectra, upconversion spectra, and lifetime measurements. Under 980 nm laser excitation, all samples exhibited characteristic emissions of Ho3+. Attractively, the upconversion emissions of Ho3+, especially green and near‐infrared emissions, were enormously enhanced 190 times after crystallization. The incorporation of Ho3+ into KYb2F7 nanocrystals with lower phonon energy was responsible for this phenomenon. Our research may enrich the understanding of fluoride‐nanocrystals‐based transparent oxyfluoride glass‐ceramics.
Atomistic Modeling of Effect of Mg on Oxygen Vacancy Diffusion in α‐Alumina
Authors: Tewari Abhishek , Aschauer Ulrich , Bowen Paul
Published: May 2014

Oxygen diffusion plays an important role in grain growth and densification during the sintering of alumina ceramics and governs high‐temperature processes such as creep. The atomistic mechanism for oxygen diffusion in alumina is, however, still debated; atomistic calculations not being able to match experimentally determined activation energies for oxygen vacancy diffusion. These calculations are, however, usually performed for perfectly pure crystals, whereas virtually every experimental alumina sample contains a significant fraction of impurity/dopants ions. In this study, we use atomistic defect cluster and nudged elastic band (NEB) calculations to model the effect of Mg impurities/dopants on defect binding energies and migration barriers. We find that oxygen vacancies can form energetically favorable clusters with Mg, which reduces the number of mobile species and leads to an additional 1.5 eV energy barrier for the detachment of a single vacancy from Mg. The migration barriers of diffusive jumps change such that an enhanced concentration of oxygen vacancies is expected around Mg ions. Mg impurities were also found to cause destabilization of certain vacancy configurations as well as enhanced vacancy–vacancy interaction.
Three layers of collective victimhood: effects of multileveled victimhood on intergroup conflicts in the Israeli–Arab context
Authors: Schori‐Eyal Noa , Halperin Eran , Bar‐Tal Daniel
Published: May 2014

Perceived collective victimhood plays a significant role in conflictual intergroup relations. We suggest a conceptualization of three different layers of collective victimhood: historical victimhood, general conflict victimhood, and conflict event victimhood. Three studies explore the interrelationship between the layers and their effects in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. In Study 1, general conflict victimhood mediates the relationship between historical victimhood and willingness for compromise. In Study 2, conducted in two waves, changes in general conflict victimhood predict support for military actions against the out‐group. The relationship between general conflict victimhood and support for military actions was mediated by conflict event victimhood. In Study 3, three new scales were developed, and their relations with different outcomes examined. Findings were nearly identical to the models tested in Studies 1–2.
Drivers of beta diversity in Macaronesian spiders in relation to dispersal ability
Authors: Carvalho José C. , Cardoso Pedro
Published: May 2014

Aim

Our aim was to determine the relative contribution of species replacement and richness differences to overall beta diversity in Macaronesian spiders, the influence of several biogeographical drivers in shaping such dissimilarity patterns, and how these change according to the dispersal ability of spiders.

Location

Four Macaronesian archipelagos: the Azores, Madeira, Selvagens and the Canary Islands.

Methods

Each spider species was assigned to a group relative to its ballooning propensity (frequent, occasional or rare), used as a surrogate of dispersal ability, based on its family membership. Beta diversity was decomposed for each group, by disentangling all compositional differences (overall beta diversity, βtotal) into two components, species replacement (βrepl) and species richness differences (βrich). The effects of island area, environmental heterogeneity, geological age, distance to mainland and inter‐island distances on βrepl and βrich were tested by partial Mantel tests and hierarchical partitioning of variation for each mobility group.

Results

The archipelagos studied had similar intra‐archipelagic richness differences, but species replacement was lower within the Azores for the three groups of spiders. The variation in community composition among the archipelagos was determined by species replacement for frequently ballooning spiders, while richness differences dominated for less mobile spiders. Island area was more important for species with higher mobility, while less mobile species were mostly affected by the distance to mainland and inter‐island distances. Environmental heterogeneity had an effect, mostly on richness differences, across the three spider groups. Time had only a weak effect on species replacement for less mobile species.

Main conclusions

The partition of βtotal into βrepl and βrich identified different causes of beta‐diversity patterns as driven by the dispersal ability of spiders. Dispersal‐limited species responded more strongly to isolation than more mobile species. In contrast, the latter were influenced more by island area. Thus our findings emphasize the importance of interspecific traits and dispersal limitation for structuring species assemblages on islands.
Exercise‐Induced Pulse Wave Velocity Changes in Untreated Patients With Essential Hypertension: The Effect of an Angiotensin Receptor Antagonist
Authors: Gkaliagkousi Eugenia , Gavriilaki Eleni , Nikolaidou Barbara , Triantafyllou George , Douma Stella
Published: May 2014

This study investigates arterial stiffness changes after acute exercise in young patients with untreated, recently diagnosed grade I essential hypertension (UH) compared with normotensive (NT) individuals and the effect of antihypertensive treatment on this phenomenon. Study 1 consisted of 25 UH and 15 NT patients. UH patients who received treatment were included in study 2 and were followed‐up after a 3‐month treatment period with an angiotensin II receptor blocker. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was assessed at baseline, at maximal exercise, and at 10, 30, and 60 minutes later. In UH patients, PWV increased significantly at maximal exercise and 10 and 30 minutes of recovery, despite blood pressure fall to baseline levels. No significant PWV changes were observed in NT patients. Post‐treatment PWV levels were significantly decreased and similar to those of NT patients. Arterial stiffness is impaired following high‐intensity acute exercise even in the early stages of hypertension. Antihypertensive treatment ameliorates these effects.
Changes in Nonwaxy Japonica Rice Grain Textural‐Related Properties during Cooking
Authors: Tamura Masatsugu , Nagai Takumi , Hidaka Yasuyuki , Noda Takahiro , Yokoe Mio , Ogawa Yukiharu
Published: May 2014

Changes in physicochemical rice grain properties during cooking were examined using five nonwaxy, Japonica cultivars. The grain moisture increased as temperature increased during heating, although there were slight differences among some cultivars from 30C to 70C. A marked decrease in overall firmness was found between 85C and cooked. Awayukikomachi, low‐amylose content rice, showed lower firmness than the other cultivars during cooking. The leached materials in grain–water mixture increased between 50C and 70C. These results indicated that rice grain attributes affected not only cooked grain quality, but also changes in textural‐related grain properties during cooking. Pearson's product‐moment correlation coefficients between grain moisture at 50C versus overall firmness and surface firmness during cooking showed high, negative correlations (r = −0.88 and r = −0.71) with significant differences. This result indicated that grain moisture at 50C played a role in the textural property of cooked rice grains.

Practical Applications

Generally, the raw rice quality is directly related with cooked rice quality; cooking procedure and/or condition also affect cooked rice quality. Although the cooking procedure was fixed in this study, changes in physicochemical rice grain properties during cooking and relationships among grain attributes were examined to elucidate which procedure, condition or attributes would be mainly influenced in the cooked rice quality. Our results could contribute to develop newly rice cooking method or apparatus.
Bacterial comparison of preoperative rinsing and swabbing for oral surgery using 0.2% chlorhexidine
Authors: Johnson Nigel R. , Kazoullis Andrea , Bobinskas Alexander M. , Jones Lee , Hutmacher Dietmar W. , Lynham Anthony
Published: May 2014

Aim

The aim of the present study was to compare bacterial load using preoperative rinsing and swabbing techniques for oral surgery with 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX).

Methods

Participants were healthy volunteers undergoing a general anesthetic for the removal of teeth. Participants were randomly allocated to receive 15 mL of 0.2% CHX for 60 s as either a rinse or have their mouths swabbed. Plaque samples were aseptically collected pre‐ and post‐rinsing from the same sites in all patients (the distal surface of all second molar teeth).

Results

Patients in the swab group had similar bacteria counts before and after the application of CHX (143.4 vs 138.5 colonies, P = 1.000). After rinsing with CHX, there was an eightfold reduction of bacterial load (71 vs 8.8 colonies, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The present study demonstrates that the use of CHX as an antimicrobial agent is effective in reducing the overall number of bacterial colonies in the oral cavity. Rinsing is a more effective method of doing this.
Overexpression of the maize GRF10, an endogenous truncated growth‐regulating factor protein, leads to reduction in leaf size and plant height
Authors: Wu Lei , Zhang Dengfeng , Xue Ming , Qian Jianjun , He Yan , Wang Shoucai
Published: May 2014

It has long been thought that growth‐regulating factors (GRFs) gene family members act as transcriptional activators to play important roles in multiple plant developmental processes. However, the recent characterization of Arabidopsis GRF7 showed that it functions as a transcriptional repressor of osmotic stress‐responsive genes. This highlights the complex and diverse mechanisms by which different GRF members use to take action. In this study, the maize (Zea mays L.) GRF10 was functionally characterized to improve this concept. The deduced ZmGRF10 protein retains the N‐terminal QLQ and WRC domains, the characteristic regions as protein‐interacting and DNA‐binding domains, respectively. However, it lacks nearly the entire C‐terminal domain, the regions executing transactivation activity. Consistently, ZmGRF10 protein maintains the ability to interact with GRF‐interacting factors (GIFs) proteins, but lacks transactivation activity. Overexpression of ZmGRF10 in maize led to a reduction in leaf size and plant height through decreasing cell proliferation, whereas the yield‐related traits were not affected. Transcriptome analysis revealed that multiple biological pathways were affected by ZmGRF10 overexpression, including a few transcriptional regulatory genes, which have been demonstrated to have important roles in controlling plant growth and development. We propose that ZmGRF10 aids in fine‐tuning the homeostasis of the GRF‐GIF complex in the regulation of cell proliferation.
Longitudinal Relations of Parental Influences and Adolescent Career Aspirations and Actions in a Collectivist Society
Authors: Sawitri Dian R. , Creed Peter A. , Zimmer‐Gembeck Melanie J.
Published: May 2014

Using social cognitive career theory as a framework, we examined the longitudinal effects of proximal parental contextual influences on career aspirations and actions in a collectivist context. We used a sample of 954 Indonesian high school students and measured parental career expectations, adolescent‐parent career congruence, self‐efficacy, outcome expectations, career aspirations, planning and exploration, twice, 6 months apart. The best‐fitting model was reciprocal, with the results showing that parental career expectations predicted subsequent career aspirations and planning, and aspirations and congruence with parents regarding career matters predicted future exploration. Self‐efficacy and outcome expectations were reciprocally related over time. Self‐efficacy served as an across‐time predictor of both parental contextual variables. Career exploration predicted future self‐efficacy and planning predicted later outcome expectations.
Self‐Perceived Competence in Mainland China: A Multiwave Longitudinal Examination of Internalizing Symptoms in Chinese Adolescents
Authors: Cohen Joseph R. , Sheshko Dana M. , Ames Alyssa M. , Young Jami F. , Hansford Amy P. , Zhu Xiongzhao , Yao Shuqiao , Abela John R. Z.
Published: May 2014

The present 9‐wave, 2‐year study examined whether Cole's (1991) theory of self‐perceived competence could help explain vulnerability to depressive and anxiety symptoms in a sample of adolescents from mainland China. Participants included 624 adolescents (319 females and 305 males) from an urban school in Changsha (n = 308) and from a rural school in Liuyang (n = 316). Findings showed that self‐perceived academic competence was negatively associated with prospective depressive and anxiety symptoms. Meanwhile, adolescents with low levels of self‐perceived social competence were at heightened risk for depressive symptoms during times of increased stressors (supporting a vulnerability‐stress model). These findings advance past research by highlighting new developmental pathways for depressive and anxiety symptoms in Chinese adolescents.
Puerto Rican Development in Light of U.S. Colonialism: The Case of the Rum Excise Tax
Authors: Fattore Christina
Published: May 2014

The relocation of Diageo's rum production facility from Puerto Rico to the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2010 had larger ramifications than the shifting of jobs from one island to another. Related to this move is the distribution of monies associated with the excise tax placed on each bottle of rum produced in these territories. For close to five decades, Puerto Rico received a large majority of these funds and invested them in economic growth. To secure a larger share of the cover‐over money, the U.S. Virgin Islands promised large corporate kickbacks funded by the tax. This article examines which strategy has an effect on economic growth, the cover‐over as a supplemental fund or as an enticement to multinational corporations. It concludes that the use of the cover‐over as a supplement to island growth is ineffective and that constrained growth on the islands is due to their political status as territories of the United States.
Assemblage structure is related to slope and depth on a deep offshore Pacific seamount chain
Authors: McClain Craig R. , Lundsten Lonny
Published: May 2014

Scientific study has generated a range of hypotheses about the ecological structure and function of seamounts. Interpretations of these ideas and data are vital to understanding how seamount communities will respond to anthropogenic impacts. Here, we examine how diversity and structure of seamount assemblages vary with depth and slope of the sea floor. We conducted ROV video transects on three seamounts of the Taney Seamount Chain in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Depth and slope were both related to assemblage structure on the Taney seamounts. Depth differences were seen in alpha‐ and beta‐diversity but not density. Beta‐diversity and density but not alpha‐diversity varied with slope. Overall, slope and depth together explained 14–31% of beta‐diversity. The findings suggest that differences in beta‐diversity as related to depth gradients may differ among onshore and offshore and/or between shallow and deep summit seamounts. Specifically, we hypothesize that differences in productivity and depth gradients among seamounts may generate different patterns of beta‐diversity.
Iron and copper as virulence modulators in human fungal pathogens
Authors: Ding Chen , Festa Richard A. , Sun Tian‐Shu , Wang Zhan‐You
Published: May 2014

Fungal pathogens have evolved sophisticated machinery to precisely balance the fine line between acquiring essential metals and defending against metal toxicity. Iron and copper are essential metals for many processes in both fungal pathogens and their mammalian hosts, but reduce viability when present in excess. However, during infection, the host uses these two metals differently.Fe has a long‐standing history of influencing virulence in pathogenic fungi, mostly in regards toFe acquisition. Numerous studies demonstrate the requirement of theFe acquisition pathway ofCandida,CryptococcusandAspergillusfor successful systemic infection.Fe is not free in the host, but is associated withFe‐binding proteins, leading fungi to develop mechanisms to interact with and to acquireFe from theseFe‐bound proteins.Cu is also essential for cell growth and development. EssentialCu‐binding proteins includeFe transporters, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and cytochromecoxidase. AlthoughCu acquisition plays critical roles in fungal survival in the host, recent work has revealed thatCu detoxification is extremely important. Here, we review fungal responses to altered metal conditions presented by the host, contrast the roles ofFe andCu during infection, and outline the critical roles of fungal metal homeostasis machinery at the host–pathogen axis.
Specific analogues uncouple transport, signalling, oligo‐ubiquitination and endocytosis in the yeast Gap1 amino acid transceptor
Authors: Van Zeebroeck Griet , Rubio‐Texeira Marta , Schothorst Joep , Thevelein Johan M.
Published: May 2014

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae amino acid transceptor Gap1 functions as receptor for signalling to the PKA pathway and concomitantly undergoes substrate‐induced oligo‐ubiquitination and endocytosis. We have identified specific amino acids and analogues that uncouple to certain extent signalling, transport, oligo‐ubiquitination and endocytosis. l‐lysine, l‐histidine and l‐tryptophan are transported by Gap1 but do not trigger signalling. Unlike l‐histidine, l‐lysine triggers Gap1 oligo‐ubiquitination without substantial induction of endocytosis. Two transported, non‐metabolizable signalling agonists, β‐alanine and d‐histidine, are strong and weak inducers of Gap1 endocytosis, respectively, but both causing Gap1 oligo‐ubiquitination. The non‐signalling agonist, non‐transported competitive inhibitor of Gap1 transport, l‐Asp‐γ‐l‐Phe, induces oligo‐ubiquitination but no discernible endocytosis. The Km of l‐citrulline transport is much lower than the threshold concentration for signalling and endocytosis. These results show that molecules can be transported without triggering signalling or substantial endocytosis, and that oligo‐ubiquitination and endocytosis do not require signalling nor metabolism. Oligo‐ubiquitination is required, but apparently not sufficient to trigger endocytosis. In addition, we demonstrate intracellular cross‐induction of endocytosis of transport‐defective Gap1Y395C by ubiquitination‐ and endocytosis‐deficient Gap1K9R,K16R. Our results support the concept that different substrates bind to partially overlapping binding sites in the same general substrate‐binding pocket of Gap1, triggering divergent conformations, resulting in different conformation‐induced downstream processes.
A Tandem Mass Spectrometric Method for Singlet Oxygen Measurement
Authors: Karonen Maarit , Mattila Heta , Huang Ping , Mamedov Fikret , Styring Stenbjörn , Tyystjärvi Esa
Published: May 2014

Singlet oxygen, a harmful reactive oxygen species, can be quantified with the substance 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine (TEMP) that reacts with singlet oxygen, forming a stable nitroxyl radical (TEMPO). TEMPO has earlier been quantified with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. In this study, we designed an ultra–high‐performance liquid chromatographic—tandem mass spectrometric (UHPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS) quantification method for TEMPO and showed that the method based on multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) can be used for the measurements of singlet oxygen from both nonbiological and biological samples. Results obtained with both UHPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS and EPR methods suggest that plant thylakoid membranes produce 3.7 × 10−7 molecules of singlet oxygen per chlorophyll molecule in a second when illuminated with the photosynthetic photon flux density of 2000 μmol m−2 s−1.
Chromatin organisation in duckweed interphase nuclei in relation to the nuclear DNA content
Authors: Cao H. X. , Vu G. T. H. , Wang W. , Messing J. , Schubert I.
Published: May 2014

The accessibility of DNA during fundamental processes, such as transcription, replication and DNA repair, is tightly modulated through a dynamic chromatin structure. Differences in large‐scale chromatin structure at the microscopic level can be observed as euchromatic and heterochromatic domains in interphase nuclei. Here, key epigenetic marks, including histone H3 methylation and 5‐methylcytosine (5‐mC) as a DNA modification, were studied cytologically to describe the chromatin organisation of representative species of the five duckweed genera in the context of their nuclear DNA content, which ranged from 158 to 1881 Mbp. All studied duckweeds, including Spirodela polyrhiza with a genome size and repeat proportion similar to that of Arabidopsis thaliana, showed dispersed distribution of heterochromatin signatures (5mC, H3K9me2 and H3K27me1). This immunolabelling pattern resembles that of early developmental stages of Arabidopsis nuclei, with less pronounced heterochromatin chromocenters and heterochromatic marks weakly dispersed throughout the nucleus.
Cold storage to overcome dormancy affects the carbohydrate status and photosynthetic capacity of Rhododendron simsii
Authors: Christiaens A. , De Keyser E. , Lootens P. , Pauwels E. , Roldán‐Ruiz I. , De Riek J. , Gobin B. , Van Labeke M.‐C.
Published: May 2014

Global warming leads to increasing irregular and unexpected warm spells during autumn, and therefore natural chilling requirements to break dormancy are at risk. Controlled cold treatment can provide an answer to this problem. Nevertheless, artificial cold treatment will have consequences for carbon reserves and photosynthesis. In this paper, the effect of dark cold storage at 7 °C to break flower bud dormancy in the evergreen Rhododendron simsii was quantified. Carbohydrate and starch content in leaves and flower buds of an early (‘Nordlicht’), semi‐early (‘M. Marie’) and late (‘Mw. G. Kint’) flowering cultivar showed that carbon loss due to respiration was lowest in ‘M. Marie’, while ‘Mw. G. Kint’ was completely depleted of starch reserves at the end of cold treatment. Gene isolation resulted in a candidate gene for sucrose synthase (SUS) RsSus, which appears to be homologous to AtSus3 and had a clear increase in expression in leaves during cold treatment. Photosynthesis measurements on ‘Nordlicht’ and the late‐flowering cultivar ‘Thesla’ showed that during cold treatment, dark respiration decreased 58% and 63%, respectively. Immediately after cold treatment, dark respiration increased and stabilised after 3 days. The light compensation point followed the same trend as dark respiration. Quantum efficiency showed no significant changes during the first days after cold treatment, but was significantly higher than in plants with dormant flower buds at the start of cold treatment. In conclusion, photosynthesis stabilised 3 days after cold treatment and was improved compared to the level before cold treatment.
Effect of Geographic Origin and Ex Situ Growing Site on Phenology, Morphology, and Seed Yield of Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) Germplasm from the Rhaetian Alps, Italy
Authors: Pecetti Luciano , Romani Massimo , Spoleto Paola , Tosca Alberto , Della Marianna Gianpaolo , Gusmeroli Fausto
Published: May 2014

Species adapted to prevailing soil and climatic conditions and native to the same geographic context are increasingly recommended for ecological restoration at high altitude. Better knowledge is required on the level of variation within these species for morpho‐physiological traits and seed yield. Adequate and affordable seed production is a prerequisite for native species to be widely adopted for restoration interventions. This study evaluated the variation of yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) germplasm collected in the Rhaetian Alps, Italy. The worth of yarrow for restoration at high altitude has been repeatedly noted. The main goal of the study was to identify promising materials for selection purposes. The explored mountain section harbored valuable variation for traits of interest. Altitude, climate, and soil should frame an ecological correspondence between the collection site and the target restoration site, to secure the value of the native germplasm outside the boundaries of its collection area. The work also assessed any interaction between the germplasm and the ex situ growing environments, represented by a mountain and a lowland site, and verified the feasibility of the latter for seed multiplication. The growing site remarkably affected several morpho‐physiological characters. The lack of difference in mean seed yield between the two altitude‐contrasting sites suggested that seed multiplication of yarrow could also be conveniently carried out in lowland environments, with advantages in terms of production costs. Nonetheless, different yield responses in the two sites were observed, emphasizing the need of choosing the material to multiply based on the environment adopted for seed production.
Estimation of the 6‐digit level allele and haplotype frequencies of HLA‐A, ‐B, and ‐C in Koreans using ambiguity‐solving DNA typing
Authors: Jun J.‐H. , Hwang K. , Kim S.‐K. , Oh H.‐B. , Cho M.‐C. , Lee K.‐J.
Published: May 2014

Because Korean society is fast becoming multi‐ethnic, the determination of ambiguous human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types using HLA allele frequencies is becoming less applicable. In this study, we focused on the development of new technical methods to directly resolve the ambiguities arising from HLA genotyping. One hundred and fifty unrelated healthy Korean adults were included in this study. All alleles from each HLA locus were first divided into 2–4 groups, with each group amplified in a single PCR tube (multi‐group‐specific amplification, MGSA). To resolve phase ambiguities, some allele groups were also amplified separately in small group‐specific amplification (SGSA) tubes. In order to then resolve incomplete sequence ambiguities, primers for MGSA and SGSA were initially designed to cover additional exons. If needed, a heterozygous ambiguity resolving primer (HARP) or sequence specific primer (SSP) was also used. When MGSA and SGSA methods were applied, the rate of phase ambiguity was greatly reduced to an average of 6% (1.3% in HLA‐A, 15.7% in ‐B, and 2.0% in ‐C). Additional HARP and SSP methods could resolve all the phase ambiguities. Using our proposed method, we also detected three alleles that have not been previously reported in Korea, C*04:82, C*07:18, and C*08:22, and report 6‐digit level HLA allele and haplotype frequencies among Koreans. In conclusion, the use of MGSA/SGSA for the initial amplification step is a cost‐effective method facilitating timely and accurate reporting, given the continuing increase in the ethnic diversity of the Korean population. The MGSA described here can be applicable to various populations and thus could be shared by the majority of HLA typing laboratories. However, efforts to solve HLA ambiguity should continue, because SGSA, HARPs and SSPs would be specific to a particular population.
Identification of a novel HLA‐C*04:144 allele by polymerase chain reaction sequence‐based typing
Authors: Zhang W. , Tao S.‐D. , Wang W. , He J. , Zhu F.‐M. , Lv H.‐J.
Published: May 2014

HLA‐C*04:144 shows one nucleotide difference from C*04:01:01:01 in exon 4 at position 652 G > A.
Identification of a novel HLA‐B*35:227 allele by polymerase chain reaction sequence‐based typing in a Chinese bone marrow donor
Authors: Chen N.‐Y. , Zhang W. , Wang W. , He J. , Zhu F.‐M. , Lv H.‐J.
Published: May 2014

HLA‐B*35:227 differs from HLA‐B*35:01:01:01 by a single nucleotide substitution at position 746 C>T.
Temperature Determination by Means of Optoacoustic Measurements
Authors: Gorman John , Sparrow Eph , Abraham John
Published: May 2014

The capabilities of the optoacoustic principle as a means of temperature measurement have been explored by means of experiments. In the experiments, a tissue test specimen, biological muscle sample, was positioned in a precisely temperature-controlled environment and irradiated with 532-nm laser light. The absorbed radiation gave rise to thermal expansion whose induced stresses created a sound field which was detected by a piezoelectric sensor. During the course of the experiments, the temperature of the water bath was systematically varied, with ample time being allowed to enable the test specimen to achieve thermal equilibrium. The temperature variation encompassed both increasing and decreasing protocols. Replicate samples were tested to ensure accuracy. It was found that temperature increases gave rise to decreasing acoustic amplitudes. An opposite trend was observed when the temperature was decreased. This outcome, when compared with the published literature, suggested that accurate use of the photoacoustic effect as a means of temperature measurement requires great care in the setup and execution of the experiment.
Circulant Matrices and Their Application to Vibration Analysis
Authors: Olson Brian J. , Shaw Steven W. , Shi Chengzhi , Pierre Christophe , Parker Robert G.
Published: May 2014

This paper provides a tutorial and summary of the theory of circulant matrices and their application to the modeling and analysis of the free and forced vibration of mechanical structures with cyclic symmetry. Our presentation of the basic theory is distilled from the classic book of Davis (1979, Circulant Matrices, 2nd ed., Wiley, New York) with results, proofs, and examples geared specifically to vibration applications. Our aim is to collect the most relevant results of the existing theory in a single paper, couch the mathematics in a form that is accessible to the vibrations analyst, and provide examples to highlight key concepts. A nonexhaustive survey of the relevant literature is also included, which can be used for further examples and to point the reader to important extensions, applications, and generalizations of the theory.
Constructal Theory Based Geometric Optimization of Wavy Channels in the Low Reynolds Number Regime
Authors: Xie Gongnan , Asadi Masoud , Sunden Bengt , Zheng Shaofei
Published: May 2014

To obtain better fluid mixing and higher heat transfer in the low Reynolds number regime, various wavy fins are employed in heat sinks (heat exchangers) for electronic cooling applications. However, it was reported in previous works that in the low Reynolds number regime there are no remarkable differences in the thermal performance of a straight-plate and a wavy-wall channel. In this study, the constructal theory is applied to optimize the geometry of wavy-wall channels of an electronic heat sink, where the objective is to minimize the global thermal resistance. The domain has three degrees of freedom: The interplate-spacing (S), the wavelength ratio (λ1/λ2), and the amplitude ratio (a1/a2). The two times minimized global thermal resistance indicates that the thermal–hydraulic performance of the wavy channels is unaffected by the amplitude ratio, while the wavelength ratio and interplate separation have strong impacts on the overall performance. In addition, the thermal performances at four Reynolds numbers are evaluated, and it is found that the constructal-wavy channels can exhibit much better thermal performance in the low Reynolds number regime.
Mechanical Anisotropy and Strain Rate Dependency Behavior of Ti6Al4V Produced Using E-Beam Additive Fabrication
Authors: Ladani Leila , Razmi Jafar , Farhan Choudhury Soud
Published: May 2014

Anisotropic mechanical behavior is an inherent characteristic of parts produced using additive manufacturing (AM) techniques in which parts are built layer by layer. It is expected that in-plane and out-of-plane properties be different in these parts. E-beam fabrication is not an exception to this. It is, however, desirable to keep this degree of anisotropy to a minimum level and be able to produce parts with comparable mechanical strength in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions. In this manuscript, this degree of anisotropy is investigated for Ti6Al4V parts produced using this technique through tensile testing of parts built in different orientations. Mechanical characteristics such as Young's modulus, yield strength (YS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and ductility are evaluated. The strain rate effect on mechanical behavior, namely, strength and ductility, is also investigated by testing the material at a range of strain rates from 10−2 to 10−4 s−1. Local mechanical properties were extracted using nanoindentation technique and compared against global values (average values obtained by tensile tests). Although the properties obtained in this experiment were comparable with literature findings, test results showed that in-plane properties, elastic modulus, YS, and UTS are significantly higher than out-of-plane properties. This could be an indication of defects in between layers or imperfect bonding of the layers. Strong positive strain rate sensitivity was observed in out-of-plane direction. The strain rate sensitivity evaluation did not show strain rate dependency for in-plane directions. Local mechanical properties obtained through nanoindentation confirmed the findings of tensile test and also showed variation of properties caused by geometry.
Instantaneous adhesion of Cuvierian tubules in the sea cucumber Holothuria forskali
Authors: Demeuldre Mélanie , Chinh Ngo Thi , Hennebert Elise , Wattiez Ruddy , Leclère Philippe , Flammang Patrick
Published: May 2014

The peculiar Cuvierian tubules of sea cucumbers function as a defense mechanism. They thwart attacks by creating a sticky network composed of elongated tubules within which the potential predator is entangled in a matter of seconds and thus immobilized. Cuvierian tubules are typical instantaneous adhesive organs in which tissue integrity is destroyed during the release of the adhesive secretion. However, very little information is available about this adhesion process. The adhesive epithelium—the mesothelium—and the sticky material it produces were studied in the species Holothuria forskali using different microscopy techniques (light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy). The mesothelium consists of two cell types—peritoneocytes and granular cells—organized in superimposed layers. In tubules before expulsion, peritoneocytes form an outer protective cell layer preventing adhesion when not needed. After expulsion, the elongation process removes this protective layer and allows granular cells to unfold and to become exposed at the tubule surface. At this stage, Cuvierian tubules are still not sticky. Upon contact with a surface, however, granular cells release their granule contents. Once released, this material changes in aspect, swells, and spreads readily on any type of substrate where it forms a thin homogeneous layer. After tubule peeling, this layer remains on the surface but is often contaminated with collagen fibers. Atomic force microscopy demonstrated the adhesive layer to be made up of globular nanostructures measuring about 70 nm in diameter and to be more adhesive than the collagen fibers left on it. The morphological organization of Cuvierian tubules therefore allows contact-dependent deposition of an adhesive material presenting a high affinity for various surfaces. It is certainly an adaptive advantage for a defense organ to be able to entangle different types of predators.
Effect of postdeposition annealing on the electrical properties of β-Ga2O3 thin films grown on p-Si by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition
Authors: Altuntas Halit , Donmez Inci , Ozgit-Akgun Cagla , Biyikli Necmi
Published: May 2014

Ga2O3 dielectric thin films were deposited on (111)-oriented p-type silicon wafers by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition using trimethylgallium and oxygen plasma. Structural analysis of the Ga2O3 thin films was carried out using grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction. As-deposited films were amorphous. Upon postdeposition annealing at 700, 800, and 900 °C for 30 min under N2 ambient, films crystallized into β-form monoclinic structure. Electrical properties of the β-Ga2O3 thin films were then investigated by fabricating and characterizing Al/β-Ga2O3/p-Si metal–oxide-semiconductor capacitors. The effect of postdeposition annealing on the leakage current densities, leakage current conduction mechanisms, dielectric constants, flat-band voltages, reverse breakdown voltages, threshold voltages, and effective oxide charges of the capacitors were presented. The effective oxide charges (Qeff) were calculated from the capacitance–voltage (C-V) curves using the flat-band voltage shift and were found as 2.6 × 1012, 1.9 × 1012, and 2.5 × 1012 cm−2 for samples annealed at 700, 800, and 900 °C, respectively. Effective dielectric constants of the films decreased with increasing annealing temperature. This situation was attributed to the formation of an interfacial SiO2 layer during annealing process. Leakage mechanisms in the regions where current increases gradually with voltage were well fitted by the Schottky emission model for films annealed at 700 and 900 °C, and by the Frenkel–Poole emission model for film annealed at 800 °C. Leakage current density was found to improve with annealing temperature. β-Ga2O3 thin film annealed at 800 °C exhibited the highest reverse breakdown field value.
Growth of high-density Ir nanocrystals by atomic layer deposition for nonvolatile nanocrystal memory applications
Authors: Liu Xiao-Jie , Zhu Lin , Li Xue-Fei , Cao Zheng-Yi , Li Ai-Dong , Wu Di
Published: May 2014

A careful investigation is made of the growth of Ir nanocrystals (NCs) on Al2O3 by atomic layer deposition (ALD), and a charge trapping memory device using ALD-grown Ir NCs as the charge trapping layer and ALD-grown Al2O3/HfO2 as the tunneling/blocking layers is fabricated. It is found that the ex situ nucleation of Ir NCs on ALD-grown Al2O3 is difficult, though in situ growth can produce pure metallic Ir NCs with a face-centered cubic crystalline phase directly on ALD-grown Al2O3 at the initial growth stage, which follows the nucleation incubation model. The growth of these metallic Ir NCs is attributed to the presence of a uniform coverage of reactive groups (hydroxyl or dimethylaluminum) on the as-deposited fresh ALD-grown Al2O3 surface, which greatly promotes the uniform nucleation of Ir. Electrical measurements of p-Si/Al2O3/Ir NCs/HfO2 memory cells exhibit a large memory window of 4.2 V at the sweeping gate voltage of ±10 V, and a ∼76% retention property after 104 s at 75 °C. Also, a stable memory window of ∼2 V is achieved during the first 105 program/erase cycles under a ±10 V/10 ms program/erase operation. In situ ALD-grown Ir NCs with the highest density of 0.6 × 1012/cm2 provide a potential approach to fabricate large-area high-density NCs for future ultrahigh-density nonvolatile NC memory applications.
Comparison of Simplexa Flu A/B & RSV PCR with Cytospin-Immunofluorescence and Laboratory-Developed TaqMan PCR in Predominantly Adult Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Landry Marie L. , Ferguson David
Published: May 2014

To compare Simplexa Flu A/B & RSV PCR with cytospin-immunofluorescence and laboratory-developed TaqMan PCR methods, 445 nasopharyngeal samples were tested. Of these, 199 were positive (46 for respiratory syncytial virus [RSV], 120 for influenza A, and 33 for influenza B) and 246 were negative. The direct fluorescent-antibody assay (DFA) detected 132 (66.3%) positive samples, Simplexa direct detected 162 (81.4%), Simplexa using extracts detected 177 (88.9%), and lab-developed TaqMan PCR reference methods detected 199 (100%). The specificities were 99.6%, 100%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. The two Simplexa methods were more sensitive than the DFA (
P
= 0.0001) but less sensitive than the TaqMan reverse transcriptase PCR (
P
= 0.0001).
Whole-Genome Sequencing for High-Resolution Investigation of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Epidemiology and Genome Plasticity
Authors: SenGupta Dhruba J. , Cummings Lisa A. , Hoogestraat Daniel R. , Butler-Wu Susan M. , Shendure Jay , Cookson Brad T. , Salipante Stephen J.
Published: May 2014

Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) infections pose a major challenge in health care, yet the limited heterogeneity within this group hinders molecular investigations of related outbreaks. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) has been the gold standard approach but is impractical for many clinical laboratories and is often replaced with PCR-based methods. Regardless, both approaches can prove problematic for identifying subclonal outbreaks. Here, we explore the use of whole-genome sequencing for clinical laboratory investigations of MRSA molecular epidemiology. We examine the relationships of 44 MRSA isolates collected over a period of 3 years by using whole-genome sequencing and two PCR-based methods, multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) and
spa
typing. We find that MLVA offers higher resolution than
spa
typing, as it resolved 17 versus 12 discrete isolate groups, respectively. In contrast, whole-genome sequencing reproducibly cataloged genomic variants (131,424 different single nucleotide polymorphisms and indels across the strain collection) that uniquely identified each MRSA clone, recapitulating those groups but enabling higher-resolution phylogenetic inferences of the epidemiological relationships. Importantly, whole-genome sequencing detected a significant number of variants, thereby distinguishing between groups that were considered identical by both
spa
typing (minimum, 1,124 polymorphisms) and MLVA (minimum, 193 polymorphisms); this suggests that these more conventional approaches can lead to false-positive identification of outbreaks due to inappropriate grouping of genetically distinct strains. An analysis of the distribution of variants across the MRSA genome reveals 47 mutational hot spots (comprising ∼2.5% of the genome) that account for 23.5% of the observed polymorphisms, and the use of this selected data set successfully recapitulates most epidemiological relationships in this pathogen group.
Genome-Wide Small Interfering RNA Screens Reveal VAMP3 as a Novel Host Factor Required for Uukuniemi Virus Late Penetration
Authors: Meier Roger , Franceschini Andrea , Horvath Peter , Tetard Marilou , Mancini Roberta , von Mering Christian , Helenius Ari , Lozach Pierre-Yves
Published: May 2014

The
Bunyaviridae
constitute a large family of enveloped animal viruses, many of which are important emerging pathogens. How bunyaviruses enter and infect mammalian cells remains largely uncharacterized. We used two genome-wide silencing screens with distinct small interfering RNA (siRNA) libraries to investigate host proteins required during infection of human cells by the bunyavirus Uukuniemi virus (UUKV), a late-penetrating virus. Sequence analysis of the libraries revealed that many siRNAs in the screens inhibited infection by silencing not only the intended targets but additional genes in a microRNA (miRNA)-like manner. That the 7-nucleotide seed regions in the siRNAs can cause a perturbation in infection was confirmed by using synthetic miRNAs (miRs). One of the miRs tested, miR-142-3p, was shown to interfere with the intracellular trafficking of incoming viruses by regulating the v-SNARE VAMP3, a strong hit shared by both siRNA screens. Inactivation of VAMP3 by the tetanus toxin led to a block in infection. Using fluorescence-based techniques in fixed and live cells, we found that the viruses enter VAMP3
+
endosomal vesicles 5 min after internalization and that colocalization was maximal 15 min thereafter. At this time, LAMP1 was associated with the VAMP3
+
virus-containing endosomes. In cells depleted of VAMP3, viruses were mainly trapped in LAMP1-negative compartments. Together, our results indicated that UUKV relies on VAMP3 for penetration, providing an indication of added complexity in the trafficking of viruses through the endocytic network.

IMPORTANCE
Bunyaviruses represent a growing threat to humans and livestock globally. Unfortunately, relatively little is known about these emerging pathogens. We report here the first human genome-wide siRNA screens for a bunyavirus. The screens resulted in the identification of 562 host cell factors with a potential role in cell entry and virus replication. To demonstrate the robustness of our approach, we confirmed and analyzed the role of the v-SNARE VAMP3 in Uukuniemi virus entry and infection. The information gained lays the basis for future research into the cell biology of bunyavirus infection and new antiviral strategies. In addition, by shedding light on serious caveats in large-scale siRNA screening, our experimental and bioinformatics procedures will be valuable in the comprehensive analysis of past and future high-content screening data.