bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magneto-impedance sensor for quasi-noncontact monitoring of breathing, pulse rate and activity status
Authors: Corodeanu S. , Chiriac H. , Radulescu L. , Lupu N.
Published: January 2014

Results on the development and testing of a novel magnetic sensor based on the detection of the magneto-impedance variation due to changes in the permeability of an amorphous wire are reported. The proposed application is the quasi-noncontact monitoring of the breathing frequency and heart rate for diagnosing sleep disorders. Patient discomfort is significantly decreased by transversally placing the sensitive element onto the surface of a flexible mattress in order to detect its deformation associated with cardiorespiratory activity and body movements. The developed sensor has a great application potential in monitoring the vital signs during sleep, with special advantages for children sleep monitoring.
Statistical investigations on nitrogen-vacancy center creation
Authors: Antonov D. , Häußermann T. , Aird A. , Roth J. , Trebin H.-R. , Müller C. , McGuinness L. , Jelezko F. , Yamamoto T. , Isoya J. , Pezzagna S. , Meijer J. , Wrachtrup J.
Published: January 2014

Quantum information technologies require networks of interacting defect bits. Color centers, especially the nitrogen vacancy (NV−) center in diamond, represent one promising avenue, toward the realisation of such devices. The most successful technique for creating NV− in diamond is ion implantation followed by annealing. Previous experiments have shown that shallow nitrogen implantation (<10 keV) results in NV− centers with a yield of 0.01%–0.1%. We investigate the influence of channeling effects during shallow implantation and statistical diffusion of vacancies using molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulation techniques. Energy barriers for the diffusion process were calculated using density functional theory. Our simulations show that 25% of the implanted nitrogens form a NV center, which is in good agreement with our experimental findings.
Barrier penetration effects on thermopower in semiconductor quantum wells
Authors: Vaidya R. G. , Sankeshwar N. S. , Mulimani B. G.
Published: January 2014

Finite confinement effects, due to the penetration of the electron wavefunction into the barriers of a square well potential, on the low–temperature acoustic-phonon-limited thermopower (TP) of 2DEG are investigated. The 2DEG is considered to be scattered by acoustic phonons via screened deformation potential and piezoelectric couplings. Incorporating the barrier penetration effects, the dependences of diffusion TP and phonon drag TP on barrier height are studied. An expression for phonon drag TP is obtained. Numerical calculations of temperature dependences of mobility and TP for a 10 nm InN/In xGa1−xN quantum well for different values of x show that the magnitude and behavior of TP are altered. A decrease in the barrier height from 500 meV by a factor of 5, enhances the mobility by 34% and reduces the TP by 58% at 20 K. Results are compared with those of infinite barrier approximation.
A novel mathematical model for controllable near-field electrospinning
Authors: Ru Changhai , Chen Jie , Shao Zhushuai , Pang Ming , Luo Jun
Published: January 2014

Near-field electrospinning (NFES) had better controllability than conventional electrospinning. However, due to the lack of guidance of theoretical model, precise deposition of micro/nano fibers could only accomplished by experience. To analyze the behavior of charged jet in NFES using mathematical model, the momentum balance equation was simplified and a new expression between jet cross-sectional radius and axial position was derived. Using this new expression and mass conservation equation, expressions for jet cross-sectional radius and velocity were derived in terms of axial position and initial jet acceleration in the form of exponential functions. Based on Slender-body theory and Giesekus model, a quadratic equation for initial jet acceleration was acquired. With the proposed model, it was able to accurately predict the diameter and velocity of polymer fibers in NFES, and mathematical analysis rather than experimental methods could be applied to study the effects of the process parameters in NFES. Moreover, the movement velocity of the collector stage can be regulated by mathematical model rather than experience. Therefore, the model proposed in this paper had important guiding significance to precise deposition of polymer fibers.
Paul Ehrenfest’s final years
Authors: van Delft Dirk
Published: January 2014

New access to his correspondence sheds light on the tragic life and death of one of the pioneers of modern physics.
The math behind the scene of the crime
Authors: Short Martin B.
Published: January 2014

A mathematical model based on well-documented features of criminal behavior illuminates why crime hot spots form, and it can direct police to the most efficient use of their resources.
T26248G-transversion mutation in exon7 of the putative methyltransferase Nsun7 gene causes a change in protein folding associated with reduced sperm motility in asthenospermic men
Authors: Khosronezhad Nahid , Colagar Abasalt Hosseinzadeh , Jorsarayi Syed Golam Ali
Published: January 2014

The NOP2/Sun domain family, member 7 (Nsun7) gene, which encodes putative methyltransferase Nsun7, has a role in sperm motility in mice. In humans, this gene is located on chromosome 4 with 12 exons. The aim of the present study was to investigate mutations of exon 7 in the normospermic and asthenospermic men. Semen samples were collected from the Fatemezahra IVF centre (Babol, Iran) and analysed on the basis of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines using general phenol–chloroform DNA extraction methods. Exon 7 was amplified using Sun7-F and Sun7-R primers. Bands on samples from asthenospermic men that exhibited different patterns of movement on single-strand conformation polymorphism gels compared with normal samples were identified and subjected to sequencing for further identification of possible mutations. Direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, along with their analysis, confirmed C26232T-transition and T26248G-transversion mutations in asthenospermic men. Comparison of normal and mutant protein structures of Nsun7 indicated that the amino acid serine was converted to alanine, the structure of the helix, coil and strand was changed, and the protein folding and ligand binding sites were changed in samples from asthenospermic men with a transversion mutation in exon 7, indicating impairment of protein function. Because Nsun7 gene products have a role in sperm motility, if an impairment occurs in exon 7 of this gene, it may lead to infertility. The transversion mutation in exon 7 of the Nsun7 gene can be used as an infertility marker in asthenospermic men.
Can changes to pasture management reduce runoff and sediment loss to the Great Barrier Reef? The results of a 10-year study in the Burdekin catchment, Australia
Authors: Bartley Rebecca , Corfield Jeff P. , Hawdon Aaron A. , Kinsey-Henderson Anne E. , Abbott Brett N. , Wilkinson Scott N. , Keen Rex J.
Published: January 2014

Excess sediments from agricultural areas are having a detrimental impact on the Great Barrier Reef, and threaten the long-term viability of rangeland grazing. Changes to grazing management have been promoted as a mechanism for reducing excess sediment loss from grazed rangelands. This paper summarises the results of a 10-year study (2002–11) on a property in the Burdekin catchment that investigated the role of reduced stocking rates and rotational wet season resting on hill-slope and catchment runoff and sediment yields. Ground cover and pasture biomass were evaluated using on-ground surveys and remote sensing. During this study, average ground cover increased from ~35 to ~80% but pasture biomass was low due to the dominance of Bothriochloa pertusa (77% of composition). The percentage of deep-rooted perennial species increased from ~7% of pasture composition in 2002 to ~15% in 2011. This is still considerably lower than the percentage that occupied this property in 1979 (~78%). The increased ground cover resulted in progressively lower hill-slope runoff coefficients for the first event in each wet season, but annual catchment runoff did not respond significantly to the increasing ground cover during the study. Hill-slope and catchment sediment concentrations did decline with the increased ground cover, yet catchment sediment yields increased proportionally to annual runoff due to the contribution of sub-surface (scald, gully and bank) erosion. This study has demonstrated that changes to grazing management can reduce sediment concentrations leaving B. pertusa-dominated pastures, as B. pertusa is an effective controller of surface erosion. To further reduce the runoff that is fuelling gully and bank erosion, the proportion of deep-rooted native perennial grasses needs to be increased. It is argued that more than 10 years will be required to restore healthy eco-hydrological function to these previously degraded and low productivity rangelands. Even longer timescales will be needed to meet current targets for water quality.
Hook Selectivity in an Artisanal Spotted Rose Snapper Lutjanus guttatus Fishery on the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
Authors: Mongeon Chris , Granek Elise F. , Arauz Randall
Published: January 2014

Commercial fishing is responsible for declines in both the abundance and biomass of many marine species (Ward and Myers 2005). The Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) Sustainable Seafood Certification Program focuses on fishery modifications to reduce such impacts on marine species and ecosystems. On the Nicoya Peninsula in northwestern Costa Rica, the Costa Rican nongovernmental organization Programa Restauración de Tortugas Marinas has been working with artisanal fishers since 2007 to promote sustainable fishing practices, with the goal of applying for a sustainable fishery certificate from the MSC. To collect relevant data for the MSC application, we tested the selectivity of the hooks used in the artisanal fishery to determine how the fishery interacts with the target species, the Spotted Rose Snapper Lutjanus guttatus, as well as nontarget, bycatch species. We constructed a longline composed of equal numbers of different sized hooks (the Mustad #8 “J” style hooks commonly used in the fishery as well as smaller #10 and larger #6 hooks). Decreasing the hook size led to higher catch rates of both Spotted Rose Snapper and most bycatch species, with no change in mean size of Spotted Rose Snapper. Increasing the hook size led to decreased catch rates of both Spotted Rose Snapper and most bycatch species and an increase in the mean size of Spotted Rose Snapper. The size range of the Spotted Rose Snapper caught on this gear did not exceed that of the artisanal fishery. This study suggests that the artisanal fishery is using an appropriately sized hook to minimize bycatch rates without unduly minimizing the catch rates of the target species, though increasing hook size could exclude the smallest Spotted Rose Snapper from the fishery.

Received November 27, 2012; accepted May 21, 2013
Characterization of the Bycatch in the Commercial Blue Crab Pot Fishery in Georgia, November 2003– December 2006
Authors: Page James West , Curran Mary Carla , Geer Patrick John
Published: January 2014

Bycatch studies have been conducted in many fisheries in Georgia, but none has focused on the commercial pot fishery for blue crab Callinectes sapidus. The purpose of this study was to identify abundance and seasonality of finfish and invertebrate bycatch species in the commercial blue crab fishery in Georgia. Between November 2003 and December 2006, observers accompanied volunteer commercial blue crab fishers randomly selected from a list of willing participants. A total of 91 trips were observed, with 5,707 commercial blue crab pots sampled. Soak times, or fishing effort, ranged from 24 to 168 h, averaging 55.8 h/trap for each trip. The number of traps sampled each trip ranged from 5 to 163, with a mean of 62.7 traps per trip. We collected 306 finfish and 4,972 invertebrates in this study period. The most numerous finfish were Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma (n = 52), Atlantic Spadefish Chaetodipterus faber (n = 50), Oyster Toadfish Opsanus tau (n = 50), Hardhead Catfish Ariopsis felis (n = 46), and Southern Kingfish Menticirrhus americanus (n = 37). The most numerous invertebrates species were hermit crabs Pagurus spp. (n = 2,341), spider crabs Libinia spp. (n = 532), stone crabs Menippe mercenaria (n = 438), channeled whelk Busycon canaliculatum (n = 1,570), and knobbed whelk Busycon carica (n = 25). The similarity of bycatch by season was compared using a Morisita similarity index, and results were that Southern Flounder, Atlantic Spadefish, Oyster Toadfish, spider crabs, channeled whelk, and stone crabs varied seasonally. Of all species observed, we conclude that channeled whelk populations may be impacted by this fishery.

Received October 22, 2012; accepted June 17, 2013
Indication of Density-Dependent Changes in Growth and Maturity of the Barndoor Skate on Georges Bank
Authors: Coutré Karson , Gedamke Todd , Rudders David B. , Driggers William B. , Koester David M. , Sulikowski James A.
Published: January 2014

Drastic increases or decreases in biomass often result in density-dependent changes in life history characteristics within a fish population. Acknowledging this phenomenon and in light of the recent biomass increase in Barndoor Skate Dipturus laevis, the current study re-evaluated the growth rate and sexual maturity of 244 specimens collected from 2009–2011within closed areas I and II on Georges Bank, USA. Ages were estimated using vertebral band counts from skate that ranged from 21 to 129 cm TL. The von Bertalanffy growth function was applied to pooled age-at-length data. Parameter estimates from the current study of L∞ = 155 cm TL and k = 0.10 represent a significant decrease from previously reported parameters of L∞ = 167 cm TL and k = 0.14. In addition to changes in growth parameters, age at 50% maturity for both males (based on clasper length, testes mass, and percent mature spermatocytes) and females (based on data from shell gland mass, ovary mass, and follicle diameter) increased by 3 years and 4 years, respectively. Based on our results and the 10- to 12-year gap in the collection of samples, it is likely that Barndoor Skate within this region have exhibited pliability in life history parameters.

Received January 21, 2013; accepted July 9, 2013
Residence, Habitat Use, and Movement Patterns of Atlantic Tripletail in the Ossabaw Sound Estuary, Georgia
Authors: Streich Matthew K. , Kalinowsky Chris A. , Peterson Douglas L.
Published: January 2014

Atlantic Tripletails Lobotes surinamensis support a popular recreational fishery along the coast of Georgia; however, Atlantic Tripletail residency and movements within Georgia estuaries have not been studied. Our objective was to describe estuarine movements and residency of Atlantic Tripletails in the Ossabaw Sound Estuary, Georgia. During summer in 2010 and 2011, large juvenile and adult Atlantic Tripletails (n = 32; 42.1–71.0 cm TL) were captured with traditional angling methods and received surgically implanted ultrasonic transmitters. Tagged individuals were detected within the estuary via a stationary array of acoustic receivers that monitored the estuary continuously from June 2010 through May 2012. Manual tracking was conducted with a portable hydrophone and homing. Atlantic Tripletails were detected in the estuary during March–November at sustained water temperatures above 21°C; tagged fish were not detected by the stationary array during any other period. Movements were highly correlated with tidal stage; 100% of the tagged fish moved upstream with flood tides and returned to the sound with the ebbing tide on a daily basis. Atlantic Tripletails were observed as far upstream as river kilometer 33. Our results from acoustic telemetry provide the first information on spatial and temporal habitat use by Atlantic Tripletails within the South Atlantic Bight and suggest that these fish (1) exhibit a high degree of residency in Georgia estuaries and (2) use a large portion of the estuary during their daily movements. Although estuarine habitat use appeared to be an important component of the species’ life history, future studies of population dynamics and winter movements will be needed to obtain a better understanding of the potentially complex structure of Atlantic Tripletail stocks.

Received March 18, 2013; accepted July 22, 2013
Challenging Executive Dominance inEuropean Democracy
Authors: Curtin Deirdre
Published: January 2014

Executive dominance in the contemporaryEUis part of a wider migration of executive power towards types of decision making that eschew electoral accountability and popular democratic control. This democratic gap is fed by far‐going secrecy arrangements and practices exercised in a concerted fashion by the various executive actors at different levels of governance and resulting in the blacking out of crucial information and documents – even for parliaments. Beyond a deconstruction exercise on the nature and location ofEUexecutive power and secretive working practices, this article focuses on the challenges facing parliaments in particular. It seeks to reconstruct a more pro‐active and networked role of parliaments – both national andEuropean – as countervailing power. In this vision parliaments must assert themselves in a manner that is true to their role in the political system and that is not dictated by government at any level.
Must the Surgeon Take the Pill? Negligence Duty in the Context of Cognitive Enhancement
Authors: Goold Imogen , Maslen Hannah
Published: January 2014

Recently, attention has turned to the possibility of enhancing human cognitive abilities via pharmacological interventions. Known as ‘cognitive enhancers’, these drugs can alter human mental capacities, and in some cases can effect significant improvements. One prime example is modafinil, a drug used to treat narcolepsy, which can help combat decreases in wakefulness and cognitive capacity that arise due to fatigue in otherwise healthy individuals. In this paper, we respond to calls in the philosophical and ethical literature that surgeons and other medical professionals should be morally obliged to take cognitively enhancing drugs. We examine whether surgeons who make fatigue‐related errors during patient care might be considered legally obliged to enhance themselves. We focus on liability for a failure to medicate, and conclude that it is highly unlikely that surgeons will be legally obliged to address their fatigue through the use of cognitive enhancing drugs.
Hands‐Off or Hands‐On?: Deconstructing the ‘Test‐Case’ ofRe Gwithin a Culture of Children's Rights
Authors: Tolley Tamara
Published: January 2014

This note challenges the so‐called ‘test‐case’ status ofRe Gin so far as it attempts to overturn the principle established inRe Tthat courts should adopt a neutral position when it comes to weighing the merits of different upbringings and the education provided by parents of minority religions. In determining the future upbringing and education of children who had been brought up in a minority religious community,Re Gapplies a principle of maximising educational opportunity in order to uphold the mother's proposed educational choice and way of life. This note argues thatRe Gwas wrong to do so, should not be regarded as establishing any new principle and that the only relevant principle, both in determining this case and future cases, ought to rest on the psychological well‐being of the child.
Disturbances of visual motion perception in bipolar disorder
Authors: O'Bryan Rebecca A , Brenner Colleen A , Hetrick William P , O'Donnell Brian F
Published: January 2014

Objectives

While cognitive deficits have been well documented in patients with bipolar disorder, visual perception has been less well characterized. Such deficits appear in schizophrenia, which shares genetic risk factors with bipolar disorder, and may contribute to disturbances in visual cognition and learning.

Methods

The present study investigated visual perception in bipolar disorder using psychophysical tests of contrast sensitivity, dot motion discrimination, and form discrimination. The relationship of these measures to mood state, medication status, and cognitive function was investigated. Sixty‐one patients with type I bipolar disorder and 67 comparison subjects were tested.

Results

Results indicated a deficit in dot motion trajectory discrimination in both euthymic and ill individuals with bipolar disorder, as well as a global deficit in moving grating contrast sensitivity. Ill individuals with bipolar disorder were impaired in psychomotor processing, but this finding was not related to visual processing performance.

Conclusions

These findings could be due to disturbances in specific visual pathways involved in the processing of motion properties, or to a more general deficit which impairs processing of temporally modulated stimuli.
Different cut‐off values of the insulin tolerance test, the high‐dose short Synacthen test (250 μg) and the low‐dose short Synacthen test (1 μg) in assessing central adrenal insufficiency
Authors: Cho Hwa Y. , Kim Jung H. , Kim Sang W. , Shin Chan S. , Park Kyong S. , Kim Seong W. , Jang Hak‐Chul , Kim Seong Y.
Published: January 2014

Objective

The short Synacthen test (SST) is widely used as alternative test to the insulin tolerance test (ITT) to investigate central adrenal insufficiency (CAI), but the methodology and cut‐off values of the SST are controversial. Our aim was to evaluate the cut‐off value of the ITT in normal subjects and to assess the different cut‐off values of the high‐dose SST (250 μg, HDT) and the low‐dose SST (1 μg, LDT) in subjects with suspected CAI.

Subjects and Methods

We conducted ITTs in 208 normal subjects to establish the cut‐off value for the ITT, and 28 of those subjects underwent the HDT and LDT. From 1999 to 2007, 182 patients with suspected CAI were recruited and underwent ITTs, LDTs and HDTs to establish cut‐off values and compare the diagnostic accuracy between the LDT and HDT.

Results

The 95th percentile of the peak cortisol level during the ITT in the normal control subjects was 14·8 μg/dl. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis revealed that the optimal cut‐off values of peak cortisol in the LDT and HDT in patients with suspected CAI were 15·8 and 17·4 μg/dl, respectively. However, the cut‐off values from normative data (mean – 2 SD) were 18·3 μg/dl for the LDT and 20·5 μg/dl for the HDT in normal control.

Conclusions

The optimal cut‐off values of SSTs needed to be individualized according to the type of SST and tested patient population.
Effect of 25 (OH) D replacements in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and coexistent vitamin D deficiency on serum 25(OH) D, calcium and PTH levels: a meta‐analysis and review of literature
Authors: Shah Viral N. , Shah Chirag S. , Bhadada Sanjay K. , Rao D. Sudhakar
Published: January 2014

Context

The safety of vitamin D replacement in subjects with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and coexistent vitamin D deficiency is not well established.

Objective

To evaluate the safety of vitamin D replacement in PHPT.

Data Source

Data were searched from Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL and abstracts form annual scientific meetings of various international bone and mineral societies.

Study Selection

Studies examining the effect of preoperative vitamin D replacement in patients with PHPT and coexisting vitamin D deficiency, irrespective of year and language of the publication were included in the present meta‐analysis.

Data Extraction

Data were extracted from text of the included publications or abstract of conferences.

Data Synthesis

Ten studies enrolling 340 subjects with PHPT were analysed in this meta‐analysis. After vitamin D replacement, there was significant increase in 25(OH) D levels by 55·3 nmol/l (95% CI 33·3–77·3), reduction in serum parathyroid hormone levels by 3·5 pmol/l (5·8 to −1·2) without change in serum calcium (−0·08 mmol/l, −0·2 to +0·03) and urinary calcium levels (0·72 mmol/24 h, P = 0·2) compared to baseline.

Conclusion

Vitamin D replacement in subjects with PHPT and coexistent vitamin D deficiency increase 25 (OH) D and reduce serum PTH significantly without causing hypercalcaemia and hypercalciuria. The finding of the study needs to be confirmed by a large randomized trial in patient with PHPT and coexistent vitamin D deficiency.
Experience with 53 portal–duodenal drained solitary pancreas transplants
Authors: Perosa Marcelo , Noujaim Huda , Ianhez Luiz E. , Oliveira Rodrigo A. , Mota Leonardo T. , Branez Juan R. , Paredes Marcio M. , Giacaglia Luciano , Genzini Tercio
Published: January 2014

Systemic–enteric drainage is currently the most common technique for pancreas transplantation (PT). A novel alternative technique, portal–duodenal drainage (PDD), has potential physiological benefits and provides improved monitoring of the pancreatic graft. The current study describes 53 solitary PT procedures (43 pancreas after kidney and 10 pancreas transplant alone) using the PDD technique over the last three yr. This method resulted in one‐yr patient survival at 96% and 83% graft survival. There were five cases (9.4%) of thrombosis, in which transplantectomy and two‐layer closure of the native duodenum were performed. No fistulas were observed. Here, we demonstrate that the PDD technique in PT was as safe and effective as current techniques in clinical use.
Order of onset of drug use and criminal activities in a sample of drug‐abusing women convicted of violent crimes
Authors: Baltieri Danilo Antonio
Published: January 2014

Introduction and Aims

This study aims to explore the temporal relationship between age of onset of substance use and criminal activity in women convicted of violent crimes as well as to subdivide them into clinically significant groups to which tailored treatment can be guided.

Design and Method

Of the 353 female inmates randomised for this study, 38 (10.8%) refused to participate and 182 (51.6%) met inclusion criteria. Data were obtained only from substance‐abusing female inmates serving a sentence for robbery or homicide in a female penitentiary in Brazil. Participant information was gathered through face‐to‐face interviews during which alcohol and drug abuse, impulsiveness levels, depressive symptoms, and criminological aspects were investigated.

Results

. Age of first alcohol and drug use significantly preceded the age of onset of criminal activities in the overall sample. Onset ages of alcohol and drug use problems significantly preceded the beginning of criminal activities in women convicted of homicide only. Latent Class Analysis resulted in two groups: cluster 1 (n = 122; 67%), early‐onset alcohol and drug users; and cluster 2 (n = 60; 33%), late‐onset alcohol and drug users. Higher depression levels, higher incidence of committing robbery and less official history of recidivism were associated with cluster 1 inmates.

Discussion and Conclusions

The temporal relationship between the onset age of alcohol/drug use problems and age of the beginning of criminal activities can set apart women convicted of robbery from those convicted of homicide. Further, a distinctive therapeutic approach to early‐ and late‐onset offenders may be valuable. [Baltieri DA. Order of onset of drug use and criminal activities in a sample of drug‐abusing women convicted of violent crimes. Drug Alcohol Rev 2014;33:202–210]
Monthly haemostatic factor variability in women and men
Authors: Hill Alison M. , Stewart Paul W. , Fung Mark K. , Kris‐Etherton Penny M. , Ginsberg Henry N. , Tracy Russell P. , Pearson Thomas A. , Lefevre Michael , Reed Roberta G. , Elmer Patricia J. , Holleran Stephen , Ershow Abby G. ,   for the DELTA (Dietary Effects on Lipoproteins and Thrombogenic Activity) Investigators
Published: January 2014

Background

Hormonal status influences haemostatic factors including fibrinogen, factor VII and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI‐1), and concentrations differ among men, premenopausal and postmenopausal women. This study examines how phases of the menstrual cycle influence variability of fibrinogen, factor VII and PAI‐1.

Design

We studied 103 subjects (39 premenopausal women, 18 postmenopausal women and 46 men) during three, randomized, 8‐week energy‐ and nutrient‐controlled experimental diets in the Dietary Effects on Lipids and Thrombogenic Activity (DELTA) Study. Fasting blood samples were collected weekly during the last 4 weeks of each diet period, and haemostatic factors were quantified. Two linear mixed‐effects models were used for fibrinogen, factor VII and PAI‐1: one to estimate and compare group‐specific components of variance, and the other to estimate additional fixed effects representing cyclical functions of day of menstrual cycle in premenopausal women.

Results

Systematic cyclical variation with day of menstrual cycle was observed for fibrinogen (P < 0·0001), factor VII (P = 0·0012) and PAI‐1 (P = 0·0024) in premenopausal women. However, the amplitude of cycling was small relative to the total magnitude of intra‐individual variability. In addition, the intra‐individual variance and corresponding coefficient of variation observed in premenopausal women did not differ from postmenopausal women and men.

Conclusions

The variability in haemostatic factors in premenopausal women is no greater than for postmenopausal women or men. Consequently, premenopausal women can be included in studies investigating haemostatic factor responses without controlling for stage of menstrual cycle.
Plastic and evolutionary responses to climate change in fish
Authors: Crozier Lisa G. , Hutchings Jeffrey A.
Published: January 2014

The physical and ecological ‘fingerprints’ of anthropogenic climate change over the past century are now well documented in many environments and taxa. We reviewed the evidence for phenotypic responses to recent climate change in fish. Changes in the timing of migration and reproduction, age at maturity, age at juvenile migration, growth, survival and fecundity were associated primarily with changes in temperature. Although these traits can evolve rapidly, only two studies attributed phenotypic changes formally to evolutionary mechanisms. The correlation‐based methods most frequently employed point largely to ‘fine‐grained’ population responses to environmental variability (i.e. rapid phenotypic changes relative to generation time), consistent with plastic mechanisms. Ultimately, many species will likely adapt to long‐term warming trends overlaid on natural climate oscillations. Considering the strong plasticity in all traits studied, we recommend development and expanded use of methods capable of detecting evolutionary change, such as the long term study of selection coefficients and temporal shifts in reaction norms, and increased attention to forecasting adaptive change in response to the synergistic interactions of the multiple selection pressures likely to be associated with climate change.
Inferring influenza global transmission networks without complete phylogenetic information
Authors: Aris‐Brosou Stéphane
Published: January 2014

Influenza is one of the most severe respiratory infections affecting humans throughout the world, yet the dynamics of its global transmission network are still contentious. Here, I describe a novel combination of phylogenetics, time series, and graph theory to analyze 14.25 years of data stratified in space and in time, focusing on the main target of the human immune response, the hemagglutinin gene. While bypassing the complete phylogenetic inference of huge data sets, the method still extracts information suggesting that waves of genetic or of nucleotide diversity circulate continuously around the globe for subtypes that undergo sustained transmission over several seasons, such as H3N2 and pandemic H1N1/09, while diversity of prepandemic H1N1 viruses had until 2009 a noncontinuous transmission pattern consistent with a source/sink model. Irrespective of the shift in the structure of H1N1 diversity circulation with the emergence of the pandemic H1N1/09 strain, US prevalence peaks during the winter months when genetic diversity is at its lowest. This suggests that a dominant strain is generally responsible for epidemics and that monitoring genetic and/or nucleotide diversity in real time could provide public health agencies with an indirect estimate of prevalence.
Anethole induces apoptotic cell death accompanied by reactive oxygen species production and DNA fragmentation in Aspergillus fumigatus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Fujita Ken‐Ichi , Tatsumi Miki , Ogita Akira , Kubo Isao , Tanaka Toshio
Published: January 2014

trans‐Anethole (anethole), a major component of anise oil, has a broad antimicrobial spectrum, and antimicrobial activity that is weaker than that of other antibiotics on the market. When combined with polygodial, nagilactone E, and n‐dodecanol, anethole has been shown to possess significant synergistic antifungal activity against a budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and a human opportunistic pathogenic yeast, Candida albicans. However, the antifungal mechanism of anethole has not been completely determined. We found that anethole stimulated cell death of a human opportunistic pathogenic fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus, in addition to S. cerevisiae. The anethole‐induced cell death was accompanied by reactive oxygen species production, metacaspase activation, and DNA fragmentation. Several mutants of S. cerevisiae, in which genes related to the apoptosis‐initiating execution signals from mitochondria were deleted, were resistant to anethole. These results suggest that anethole‐induced cell death could be explained by oxidative stress‐dependent apoptosis via typical mitochondrial death cascades in fungi, including A. fumigatus and S. cerevisiae.
Horizontal gene transfer and the rock record: comparative genomics of phylogenetically distant bacteria that induce wrinkle structure formation in modern sediments
Authors: Flood B. E. , Bailey J. V. , Biddle J. F.
Published: January 2014

Wrinkle structures are sedimentary features that are produced primarily through the trapping and binding of siliciclastic sediments by mat‐forming micro‐organisms. Wrinkle structures and related sedimentary structures in the rock record are commonly interpreted to represent the stabilizing influence of cyanobacteria on sediments because cyanobacteria are known to produce similar textures and structures in modern tidal flat settings. However, other extant bacteria such as filamentous representatives of the family Beggiatoaceae can also interact with sediments to produce sedimentary features that morphologically resemble many of those associated with cyanobacteria‐dominated mats. While Beggiatoa spp. and cyanobacteria are metabolically and phylogenetically distant, genomic analyses show that the two groups share hundreds of homologous genes, likely as the result of horizontal gene transfer. The comparative genomics results described here suggest that some horizontally transferred genes may code for phenotypic traits such as filament formation, chemotaxis, and the production of extracellular polymeric substances that potentially underlie the similar biostabilizing influences of these organisms on sediments. We suggest that the ecological utility of certain basic life modes such as the construction of mats and biofilms, coupled with the lateral mobility of genes in the microbial world, introduces an element of uncertainty into the inference of specific phylogenetic origins from gross morphological features preserved in the ancient rock record.
Characterization of biogenic iron oxides collected by the newly designed liquid culture method using diffusion chambers
Authors: Kikuchi S. , Makita H. , Takai K. , Yamaguchi N. , Takahashi Y.
Published: January 2014

We designed a new culture method for neutrophilic iron‐oxidizing bacteria using liquid medium (i) to study the formation and mineralogical characteristics of biogenic iron oxides (BIOS) and (ii) to apply BIOS to various scientific and engineering applications. An iron‐oxidizing bacterium, Mariprofundus ferrooxydans PV‐1T (ATCC, BAA–1020), was cultured using a set of diffusion chambers to prepare a broad anoxic–oxic interface, upon which BIOS formation is typically observed in natural environments. Iron oxide precipitates were generated in parallel with bacterial growth. A scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that the morphological features of the iron oxide precipitates in the medium (in vitro BIOS) were similar to those of BIOS collected from natural deep‐sea hydrothermal environments in the Northwest Eifuku Seamount field in the northern Mariana Arc (in situ BIOS). Further chemical speciation of both the in vitro and in situ BIOS was examined with X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). A bulk XAFS analysis showed that the minerals in both BIOS were mainly ferrihydrite and oligomeric stages of amorphous iron oxyhydroxides with edge‐sharing octahedral linkages. The amount of in vitro BIOS produced with the diffusion‐chamber method was greater than those produced previously with other culture methods, such as gel‐stabilized gradient and batch liquid culture methods. The larger yields of BIOS produced with the new culture method will allow us to clarify in the future the mineralization mechanisms during bacterial growth and to examine the physicochemical properties of BIOS, such as their adsorption to and coprecipitation with various elements and substances.
Expression of matriptase correlates with tumour progression and clinical prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Cheng Ming‐Fang , Huang Mao‐Suan , Lin Chun‐Shu , Lin Li‐Han , Lee Herng‐Sheng , Jiang Jhih‐Cheng , Hsia Kan‐Tai
Published: January 2014

Aims

To investigate the relationship of matriptase expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to clinicopathological characteristics, patient survival and cell‐invasive properties.

Methods and results

Matriptase expression in OSCC was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining, and its relationship to clinicopathological features and outcomes was assessed statistically. The shRNA‐mediated stable knockdown of matriptase in OSCC cells was used to analyse cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Matriptase immunostaining score was correlated with histopathological grade, clinical stage, positive lymph node and distant metastasis, and higher matriptase immunostaining score was associated significantly with poor prognosis. Elevated matriptase expression in oral cancer cell lines was a significant promoter of oral cancer cell migration and invasion.

Conclusions

Matriptase expression correlates with tumour progression and invasive capability in OSCC and may be an adverse prognostic marker for this cancer.
Tobacco use habits among Swedish female youth athletes and the influence of the social environment
Authors: Rolandsson M , Wagnsson S , Hugoson A
Published: January 2014

Aim

This study examined the prevalence of tobacco habits and the influence of the social environment among Swedish female athletes representing both individual and team sports in Sweden.

Material and method

A self‐reported cross‐sectional survey was performed with 791 female athletes 15–24 years old representing ten of the most common sports in Sweden. The questions related to the participants' involvement in sports and their tobacco habits.

Results

Findings revealed that a large proportion of the female athletes had never smoked (65%) or used snus (74%). However, a considerable portion of the participants had tried smoking (27%) or using snus (20%), especially those involved in team sports. Results also showed statistically significant associations between female athletes' smoking habits and those of both their mothers and their peers, but not with the tobacco habits of their coaches, indicating that coaches do not influence the female athletes' use of tobacco.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study indicated that the vast majority of female athletes did not use tobacco. A significant portion had sometimes tried tobacco, especially members of team sports, but this behaviour did not seem to be influenced by the tobacco habits of their coaches.
Influenza‐related hospitalization of adults associated with low census tract socioeconomic status and female sex in New Haven County, Connecticut, 2007‐2011
Authors: Tam Karman , Yousey‐Hindes Kimberly , Hadler James L.
Published: January 2014

Objectives

To help guide universal influenza vaccination efforts in the United States, it is important to know which demographic groups are currently at highest risk of costly complications of influenza infection. Few studies have examined the relationship between hospitalization with influenza and either socioeconomic status (SES) or sex. We examined associations between census tract‐level SES and sex and incidence of influenza‐related hospitalizations among adults.

Design

Descriptive analysis of data collected by active population‐based surveillance for persons >18 years old hospitalized with laboratory confirmed influenza during the 2007–2008 through 2010–2011 influenza seasons. Case residential addresses were geocoded and linked to data from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey to obtain census‐tract level (neighborhood) SES measures. Census‐tract level SES variables included measures of poverty, education, crowding, primary language, and median income. Four levels were created for each.

Setting

New Haven, County, Connecticut.

Sample

Entire New Haven County population >18 years old.

Main Outcome Measures

Age‐adjusted incidence of influenza hospitalizations and relative risk by sex and by each of five SES measures.

Results

Crude and age‐adjusted incidence progressively increased with decreasing neighborhood SES for each measure both overall and for each influenza season. Female incidence was higher than male for each age group, and female age‐adjusted incidence was higher for each SES level and influenza season.

Conclusions

Female sex and lower neighborhood SES were independently and consistently associated with higher incidence of hospitalization of adults with influenza. If this is more broadly the case, these findings have implications for future influenza vaccination efforts. Analysis using census tract SES measures can provide additional perspective on health disparities.
Miliusa cambodgensis sp. nov. (Annonaceae) from Cambodia and M. astiana, M. ninhbinhensis spp. nov. from Vietnam
Authors: Chaowasku Tanawat , Keßler Paul J. A.
Published: January 2014

The genus Miliusa in Cambodia and Vietnam is reviewed. Cambodia and Vietnam each harbors six species of Miliusa, including three which are described as new to science: one from Cambodia (Miliusa cambodgensis sp. nov.), the other two from Vietnam (M. astiana and M. ninhbinhensis spp. nov.). In addition, a complete nomenclature and relevant information about the Miliusa species previously known from Cambodia and Vietnam are provided, including keys to the Cambodian and Vietnamese species, the designation of a lectotype for M. baillonii and the synonymization of M. balansae var. elongatoides, M. chunii and M. sinensis with M. balansae.
Insulation Failure with Externalized Conductor of a Linox SD Lead: A Case Report
Authors: MANFREDI JOSEPH A. , SMITHGALL STEVEN M. , KIRCHER CHARLES M. , LOLLIS MARY A.
Published: January 2014

Insulation Failure with Externalized Conductor

A 53‐year‐old man with a dual‐chamber implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator presented to the electrophysiology (EP) lab for an EP study in evaluation of supraventricular tachycardia despite medical therapy. Fluoroscopic imaging during placement of diagnostic catheters demonstrated insulation failure with an externalized conductor on the right ventricular defibrillator lead just distal to the proximal defibrillator coil. Device interrogation revealed normal pacing, and shock impedances, normal sensing, and stable pacing thresholds.
Organizational Index Mapping to Identify Focal Sources During Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: JARMAN JULIAN W. E. , WONG TOM , KOJODJOJO PIPIN , SPOHR HILMAR , DAVIES JUSTIN E.R. , ROUGHTON MICHAEL , FRANCIS DARREL P. , KANAGARATNAM PRAPA , O'NEILL MARK D. , MARKIDES VIAS , DAVIES D. WYN , PETERS NICHOLAS S.
Published: January 2014

Organizational Index Maps of AF

Introduction

Localized rotors have been implicated in the mechanism of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Although regions of highest dominant frequency (DF) on spectral analysis of the left atrium (LA) have been said to identify rotors, other mechanisms such as wavefront collisions will sporadically also generate an inconsistent distribution of high DF. We hypothesized that if drivers of AF were present, their distinctive spectral characteristics would result more from their temporal stability than their high frequency.

Methods and Results

Ten patients with persistent AF underwent LA noncontact mapping. Following subtraction of far‐field ventricular components, noncontact electrograms at 256 sites underwent fast Fourier transform. Mean absolute difference in DF between 5 sequential 7‐second segments of AF was defined as the DF variability (DFV) at each site. Mean ratio of the DF and its harmonics to the total power of the spectrum was defined as the organizational index (OI). Mean DFV was significantly lower in organized areas (OI > 1 SD above mean) than at all sites (0.34 ± 0.04 vs 0.46 ± 0.04 Hz; P < 0.001). When organized areas were ablated during wide‐area circumferential ablation, AF organized in remote regions (LA appendage ΔOI ablated vs unablated: +0.21 [0.06–0.41] vs −0.04 [−0.14–0.05]; P = 0.005).

Conclusions

At sites of organized activation, the activation frequency was also significantly more stable over time. This observation is consistent with the existence of focal sources, and inconsistent with a purely random activation pattern. Ablation of such regions is technically feasible, and was associated with organization of AF in remote atrial regions.
MGNREGA in Tamil Nadu: A Story of Success and Transformation?
Authors: Carswell Grace , De Neve Geert
Published: January 2014

Social protection has emerged as a key driver of development policy at the beginning of the twenty‐first century. It is widely considered a ‘good thing’ that has the potential not only to alleviate poverty and vulnerability, but also to generate more transformative outcomes in terms of empowerment and social justice. Based on an ethnographic study of the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), India's flagship social protection policy, this paper takes a critical look at what this policy's ‘success’ consists of. The study was carried out in Tamil Nadu, a state widely presented as a ‘success’ in terms of MGNREGA's implementation, and describes who participates in the scheme and how success is understood and expressed at different social and bureaucratic levels. In terms of MGNREGA's outcomes, we conclude that the scheme is benefitting the poorest households – and Dalits and women in particular – especially in terms of providing a safety net and as a tool for poverty alleviation. But the scheme does more than that. It has also produced significant transformative outcomes for rural labourers, such as pushing up rural wage levels, enhancing low‐caste workers' bargaining power in the labour market and reducing their dependency on high‐caste employers. These benefits are not only substantial but also transformative in that they affect rural relations of production and contribute to the empowerment of the rural labouring poor. However, in terms of creating durable assets and promoting grassroots democracy, the scheme's outcomes are much less encouraging.