bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
7T ultra‐high field body MR imaging with an 8‐channel transmit/32‐channel receive radiofrequency coil array
Authors: Rietsch Stefan H. G. , Orzada Stephan , Maderwald Stefan , Brunheim Sascha , Philips Bart W. J. , Scheenen Tom W. J. , Ladd Mark E. , Quick Harald H.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

In this work, a combined body coil array with eight transmit/receive (Tx/Rx) meander elements and with 24 receive‐only (Rx) loops (8Tx/32Rx) was developed and evaluated in comparison with an 8‐channel transmit/receive body array (8Tx/Rx) based on meander elements serving as the reference standard.

Methods

Systematic evaluation of the RF array was performed on a body‐sized phantom. Body imaging at 7T was performed in six volunteers in the body regions pelvis, abdomen, and heart. Coil characteristics such as signal‐to‐noise ratio, acceleration capability, g‐factors, S‐parameters, noise correlation, and B1+ maps were assessed. Safety was ensured by numerical simulations using a coil model validated by dosimetric field measurements.

Results

Meander elements and loops are intrinsically well decoupled with a maximum coupling value of −20.5 dB. Safe use of the 8Tx/32Rx array could be demonstrated. High gain in signal‐to‐noise ratio (33% in the subject's center) could be shown for the 8Tx/32Rx array compared to the 8Tx/Rx array. Improvement in acceleration capability in all investigations could be demonstrated. For example, the 8Tx/32Rx array provides lower g‐factors in the right–left and anterior–posterior directions with R = 3 undersampling as compared to the 8Tx/Rx array using R = 2. Both arrays are very similar regarding their RF transmit performance. Excellent image quality in the investigated body regions could be achieved with the 8Tx/32Rx array.

Conclusion

In this work, we show that a combination of eight meander elements and 24 loop receive elements is possible without impeding transmit performance. Improved SNR and g‐factor performance compared to an RF array without these loops is demonstrated. Body MRI at 7T with the 8Tx/32Rx array could be accomplished in the heart, abdomen, and pelvis with excellent image quality.
Clinical characteristics of long‐term survival with noninvasive ventilation and factors affecting the transition to invasive ventilation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Hirose Takahiko , Kimura Fumiharu , Tani Hiroki , Ota Shin , Tsukahara Akihiro , Sano Eri , Shigekiyo Taro , Nakamura Yoshitsugu , Kakiuchi Kensuke , Motoki Mikiko , Unoda Kiichi , Ishida Simon , Nakajima Hideto , Arawaka Shigeki
Published: April 2018

Introduction: We evaluated post–noninvasive ventilation survival and factors for the transition to tracheostomy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods: We analyzed 197 patients using a prospectively collected database with 114 patients since 2000. Results: Among 114 patients, 59 patients underwent noninvasive ventilation (NIV), which prolonged the total median survival time to 43 months compared with 32 months without treatment. The best post‐NIV survival was associated with a lack of bulbar symptoms, higher measured pulmonary function, and a slower rate of progression at diagnosis. The transition rate from NIV to tracheostomy gradually decreased over the years. Patients using NIV for more than 6 months were more likely to refuse tracheostomy and to be women. Discussion: This study confirmed a positive survival effect with NIV, which was less effective in patients with bulbar dysfunction. Additional studies are required to determine the best timing for using NIV with ALS in patients with bulbar dysfunction. Muscle Nerve 58:770–776 2018
Effect of Rearing Experience on the Survival, Growth, and Behavior of Hatchery-Reared Largemouth Bass
Authors: Diana Matthew J. , Diffin Brett J. , Einfalt Lisa M. , Wahl David H.
Published: April 2018

Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides are commonly stocked throughout their native range, but survival of stocked fish is variable and often low. Hatchery fish may have difficulty switching to natural forage; therefore, providing feeding experience with natural prey in the rearing environment could result in improved growth and survival of Largemouth Bass after stocking. We conducted pond experiments to evaluate differences in growth and survival of Largemouth Bass reared in raceways and fed pellets or in ponds and fed either Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus prey or Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas prey. Largemouth Bass reared on one of these three diets were stocked into ponds containing Bluegill prey. After 2 months, pellet-reared Largemouth Bass were significantly smaller than fish reared either on Fathead Minnows or Bluegills, whereas fish reared on either Fathead Minnows or Bluegills were similar. Fathead Minnow-reared Largemouth Bass had lower survival than Bluegill-reared fish, but no other survival differences were observed. To determine possible mechanisms influencing differential growth and survival of juvenile Largemouth Bass, we also conducted laboratory experiments examining the influence of prior feeding experience (pellets, Bluegills, or Red Shiners Cyprinella lutrensis) on foraging behavior and prey capture success in pools. Largemouth Bass reared on live forage captured prey faster, ingested more prey, and had higher capture efficiencies than did fish reared on pellets. Combined, pond and laboratory experiments show prior acclimation to live prey may ultimately be beneficial to increasing growth of stocked hatchery Largemouth Bass and could result in increased recruitment. We recommend additional exploration of acclimation of Largemouth Bass fingerlings to natural prey, preferably Bluegills, prior to stocking to determine whether hatchery managers should consider alternative rearing techniques.
Genetic Divergence of Nearby Walleye Spawning Groups in Central Lake Erie: Implications for Management
Authors: Stepien Carol A. , Snyder Matthew R. , Knight Carey T.
Published: April 2018

Spawning-site philopatry may lead to genetic differentiation among reproductive populations, despite their locations being in close proximity within single bodies of water. Identifying and maintaining locally differentiated spawning groups of Walleye Sander vitreus constitute an agency management priority of the multi-agency Walleye Task Group advisory for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Although genetically separable spawning groups of Walleyes have been identified from several areas in the Great Lakes, those in central Lake Erie were previously unknown. The Ohio Division of Wildlife (ODW) collected Walleyes for the present analysis from two spawning groups in Lake Erie's central basin, located just 2 km apart—one in the Grand River, Ohio, and the other at the nearby central basin reef. The hypothesis of whether the two spawning groups were genetically different was tested by analyzing variation at 14 nuclear DNA microsatellite loci from Walleyes (n = 147) reproducing in 2012 at the two sites and among three separate years (1996, 2003, and 2012) in the Grand River (to evaluate temporal trends). Results revealed relatively high genetic diversity in both spawning groups, with the reproductive population in the Grand River having significantly greater allelic richness and representation of private alleles. The Grand River Walleye runs showed a slight temporal decline in allelic richness from 1996 to 2003, which coincided with ODW reports of declining numbers of Walleyes reproducing there. The two spawning groups differed in genetic composition suggesting that they are closely related, yet are separable reproductive subpopulations, with both contributing to the overall diversity of Lake Erie Walleye. Their maintenance and integrity thus may need management attention and further monitoring.
Study of the interaction between dry granular flows and rigid barriers with an SPH model
Authors: He Xuzhen , Liang Dongfang , Wu Wei , Cai Guoqing , Zhao Chenggang , Wang Shun
Published: April 2018

This study uses an incompressible smoothed‐particle hydrodynamics model to investigate the interaction between dry granular material flows and rigid barriers. The primary aim is to summarise some practical guidelines for the design of debris‐resisting barriers. The granular materials are modelled as a rigid‐perfectly plastic material where the plastic flow corresponds to the critical state. The coupled continuity equation and momentum equation are solved by a semi‐implicit algorithm. Compared with flows in controlled flume experiments, the model adequately reproduces both the kinetic of the flows and the impact force under various conditions. Then the numerical simulations are used to study the detailed interaction process. It is illustrated quantitatively that the interaction force consists of two parts, ie, the earth pressure force caused by the weight of the soil and a dynamic force caused by the internal deformation (flowing mass on top of a dead zone). For the estimation of impact load, this study suggests that an increased earth pressure coefficient depending on the Froude number should be incorporated into the hydrostatic model.
Brazil's South–South development cooperation: Principles and experiences of the domestic bureaucracy
Authors: Farias Deborah BL
Published: April 2018

How did Brazilian bureaucrats view President Lula's approach to the provision of development assistance in the context of South–South cooperation (SSC)? How did they see their own bureaucracy's role, as a provider of such assistance? This paper addresses these questions within the broad context of Brazil's development assistance program. The analysis begins with an elaboration of the internal legal and political structure supporting the country's provision of development assistance. Then, it addresses the research questions by drawing on original material obtained from 54 interviews, conducted in Brasilia, with diplomats and public servants from 25 federal ministries and institutions directly involved with implementing technical cooperation agreements. Evidence leads to three main observations: (a) the bureaucracies' limited autonomy vis‐à‐vis the Presidency's command of the Brazilian development assistance program; (b) great convergence in the worldviews and principled values upheld by public servants and diplomats in regard to Brazilian foreign policy; and (c) the existence of interbureaucracy complaints and struggles related to the operational side of agreement implementation. These findings are relevant for understanding the inner workings of Brazilian SSC, as well as in comparison to other national bureaucracies' involvement in the conceptualization and implementation of South–South knowledge transfers.
Recent development in mass spectrometry and its hyphenated techniques for the analysis of medicinal plants
Authors: Zhu Ming‐Zhi , Chen Gui‐Lin , Wu Jian‐Lin , Li Na , Liu Zhong‐Hua , Guo Ming‐Quan
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Medicinal plants are gaining increasing attention worldwide due to their empirical therapeutic efficacy and being a huge natural compound pool for new drug discovery and development. The efficacy, safety and quality of medicinal plants are the main concerns, which are highly dependent on the comprehensive analysis of chemical components in the medicinal plants. With the advances in mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, comprehensive analysis and fast identification of complex phytochemical components have become feasible, and may meet the needs, for the analysis of medicinal plants.

Objective

Our aim is to provide an overview on the latest developments in MS and its hyphenated technique and their applications for the comprehensive analysis of medicinal plants.

Methodology

Application of various MS and its hyphenated techniques for the analysis of medicinal plants, including but not limited to one‐dimensional chromatography, multiple‐dimensional chromatography coupled to MS, ambient ionisation MS, and mass spectral database, have been reviewed and compared in this work.

Results

Recent advancs in MS and its hyphenated techniques have made MS one of the most powerful tools for the analysis of complex extracts from medicinal plants due to its excellent separation and identification ability, high sensitivity and resolution, and wide detection dynamic range.

Conclusion

To achieve high‐throughput or multi‐dimensional analysis of medicinal plants, the state‐of‐the‐art MS and its hyphenated techniques have played, and will continue to play a great role in being the major platform for their further research in order to obtain insight into both their empirical therapeutic efficacy and quality control.
The Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Carfentanil After Recreational Exposure: A Case Report
Authors: Uddayasankar Uvaraj , Lee Colin , Oleschuk Curtis , Eschun Gregg , Ariano Robert E.
Published: April 2018

Carfentanil and related fentanyl analogs have been linked to a number of overdose deaths from drug users in several cities across North America. Diagnosis of carfentanil exposure requires a very high index of clinical suspicion, especially because available laboratory narcotic screens do not detect this agent. We describe a 34‐year‐old man admitted with depressed level of consciousness and in respiratory failure after recreational exposure to a white powder later inferred to contain carfentanil. Urine and whole blood samples were obtained for conventional preliminary drug screen immunoassays for unknown exposures, in addition to utilizing a high‐pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry assay for quantification of carfentanil and its metabolite. The patient was intubated and required mechanically assisted ventilation for 31 hours until he was able to breathe safely on his own. Pharmacokinetic modeling of three timed blood samples identified the elimination half‐life as 5.7 hours for carfentanil and 11.8 hours for the norcarfentanil metabolite. Awakening and breathing spontaneously corresponded to an interpolated blood carfentanil concentration of 0.52 ng/ml. This is the first pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic case report on the recreational use of carfentanil. Critical care clinicians should anticipate long periods of ventilatory support in the care of patients exposed to carfentanil.
Shortened Courses of Antibiotics for Bacterial Infections: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Hanretty Alexandra M. , Gallagher Jason C.
Published: April 2018

Commonly prescribed durations of therapy for many, if not most, bacterial infections are not evidence‐based. Misunderstandings by clinicians and patients alike influence perspectives on antibiotic use, including duration of therapy and its role in antibiotic resistance. To demonstrate that shorter durations of antibiotic therapy are as efficacious as longer durations for many infections, a systematic review was undertaken of English‐language articles by using PubMed to identify articles for inclusion. Additionally, infection‐specific guidelines were identified for review of recommendations. Search terms included specific infection types, randomized controlled trial (RCT), duration of therapy, treatment duration, short course, and long course. Only RCTs of single‐agent antibiotic therapy for the treatment of bacterial infections in adults were included. Independent data extraction of articles was conducted by two authors by using predefined guidance for article inclusion. In total, 23 RCTs met our criteria for inclusion. All trials compared single‐agent antibiotics for a short and long antibiotic course in six common infections: community‐acquired pneumonia, ventilator‐associated pneumonia, intraabdominal infections, skin and soft tissue infections, uncomplicated cystitis, and complicated cystitis or pyelonephritis. Clinicians can decrease net antibiotic use by recommending shorter courses where evidence supports them. Antimicrobial stewardship programs that systematically address treatment duration may significantly affect institutional antibiotic use without negatively affecting patient care.
Improving the dielectric performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/polyaniline nanorod composites by stretch‐induced crystal transition
Authors: Yu Shuangmin , Wang Gengchao
Published: April 2018

The introduction of conductive polyaniline (PANI) can significantly improve the dielectric constant of polymer‐based materials. However, there is a drawback of high dielectric loss. Herein, a simple and efficient stretching process was applied to improve the dielectric performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/PANI (PVDF/PANI) nanorod films through the stretch‐induced crystal transition from non‐polar α‐crystal to polar β‐crystal in PVDF and the oriented distribution of PANI nanorods. XRD, DSC and Fourier transform IR analyses indicate that the stretched PVDF and stretched PVDF/PANI films possess a high content of β‐crystal at the stretching temperature of 135 °C under a stretching ratio of 200%–400%. Furthermore, the stretched PVDF/PANI film with 10 wt% PANI displays a high dielectric constant of 338 at 100 Hz, which is increased by 20% compared to non‐stretched PVDF/PANI film (281). More importantly, the corresponding dielectric loss is reduced from 0.31 for the non‐stretched film to 0.17 for the stretched film. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Tailoring the Surface Structures of CuPt and CuPtRu 1D Nanostructures by Coupling Coreduction with Galvanic Replacement
Authors: Mathurin Leanne E. , Benamara Mourad , Tao Jing , Zhu Yimei , Chen Jingyi
Published: April 2018

1D metal nanostructures exhibit unique properties due to their high aspect ratio for use in many applications including electrocatalysis. This work develops a solution‐based approach to 1D multimetal nanostructures with tunable surface structures by combining the two processes of coreduction and galvanic replacement. In this approach, noble metals of Pt and Ru are reduced in the presence of in situ formed Cu seeds. At high concentrations of noble metal precursors, coreduction dominates over galvanic replacement, leading to overgrowth of ultrafine, particulate, or branched structures on the surface of the 1D nanostructures. The surface roughness and composition can be tuned by varying the concentrations of noble metal precursors. The electrochemical reactivity is not only affected by the surface roughness (i.e., the size of particulates and the level of branches) but also the surface composition (i.e., the amount of Pt content). For trimetallic nanostructures, the alloy composition prevents the dissolution of Ru thereby improving electrocatalytic stability of the catalyst under acidic conditions. The structure–property study reveals that the surface structure plays an important role in tailoring the electrocatalytic property of a catalyst.
Translational regulation of ribosomal protein S15 drives characteristic patterns of protein‐mRNA epistasis
Authors: Mallik Saurav , Basu Sudipto , Hait Suman , Kundu Sudip
Published: April 2018

Do coding and regulatory segments of a gene co‐evolve with each‐other? Seeking answers to this question, here we analyze the case of Escherichia coli ribosomal protein S15, that represses its own translation by specifically binding its messenger RNA (rpsO mRNA) and stabilizing a pseudoknot structure at the upstream untranslated region, thus trapping the ribosome into an incomplete translation initiation complex. In the absence of S15, ribosomal protein S1 recognizes rpsO and promotes translation by melting this very pseudoknot. We employ a robust statistical method to detect signatures of positive epistasis between residue site pairs and find that biophysical constraints of translational regulation (S15‐rpsO and S1‐rpsO recognition, S15‐mediated rpsO structural rearrangement, and S1‐mediated melting) are strong predictors of positive epistasis. Transforming the epistatic pairs into a network, we find that signatures of two different, but interconnected regulatory cascades are imprinted in the sequence‐space and can be captured in terms of two dense network modules that are sparsely connected to each other. This network topology further reflects a general principle of how functionally coupled components of biological networks are interconnected. These results depict a model case, where translational regulation drives characteristic residue‐level epistasis—not only between a protein and its own mRNA but also between a protein and the mRNA of an entirely different protein.
Estimating lead‐time bias in lung cancer diagnosis of patients with previous cancers
Authors: Ge Zhiyun , Heitjan Daniel F. , Gerber David E. , Xuan Lei , Pruitt Sandi L.
Published: April 2018

Surprisingly, survival from a diagnosis of lung cancer has been found to be longer for those who experienced a previous cancer than for those with no previous cancer. A possible explanation is lead‐time bias, which, by advancing the time of diagnosis, apparently extends survival among those with a previous cancer even when they enjoy no real clinical advantage. We propose a discrete parametric model to jointly describe survival in a no‐previous‐cancer group (where, by definition, lead‐time bias cannot exist) and in a previous‐cancer group (where lead‐time bias is possible). We model the lead time with a negative binomial distribution and the post–lead‐time survival with a linear spline on the logit hazard scale, which allows for survival to differ between groups even in the absence of bias; we denote our model Logit‐Spline/Negative Binomial. We fit Logit‐Spline/Negative Binomial to a propensity‐score matched subset of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare linked data set, conducting sensitivity analyses to assess the effects of key assumptions. With lung cancer–specific death as the end point, the estimated mean lead time is roughly 11 months for stage I&II patients; with overall survival, it is roughly 3.4 months in stage I&II. For patients with higher‐stage lung cancers, the mean lead time is 1 month or less for both outcomes. Accounting for lead‐time bias reduces the survival advantage of the previous‐cancer group when one exists, but it does not nullify it in all cases.
Electrokinetic Potential, Thermal and Microscopic Investigation of Surfactant‐Polymer Templates on Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Morphology with Dynamic Simulation
Authors: Patel Dhruvi , Kuperkar Ketan C.
Published: April 2018

Morphology modification in the synthesized Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) is done using template made of surfactant: cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with different linear polymers: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and Pluronics® (tri‐block copolymers: PEO‐PPO‐PEO): F98 and F127. In this work, we report a systematic physico‐chemical characterization of such surfactant‐polymer templates. The idea of electrostatic interaction is conceived from electrokinetic/zeta potential (ζ) variation as a function of different polymers used in the surfactant‐polymer template. ζ value highlighted the plausible adsorbed potential at shear plane of PCC resulting in the varied structural changes which are evidently been supported by microscopic findings. Further, the thermal study provided quantitative and qualitative information of the decomposition due to mass loss. In addition, molecular simulations were performed to correlate the nano‐scale morphology changes occurring in PCC using Density Functional Theory (DFT)/B3LYP with basis set 3–21G method.
Preparation and Electrochemical Properties of Rice Husks Based Li2MnSiO4Cathode Materials
Authors: Li Yi , Li Xuehua , Qi Hui , Yu Kaifeng , Dou Yanli
Published: April 2018

Porous Li2MnSiO4/C nanocomposite has been synthesized via a solid‐state reaction using rice husks as raw material, in which cubic‐like Li2MnSiO4 nanoparticles are uniformly distributed in the porous carbon layer, as high stability and capacity lithium‐ion cathode materials. Compared to Li2MnSiO4/C, the as‐prepared porous nanocomposite delivers a high initial discharge/charge specific capacity of 479.6/321.9 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C and a superior cycling stability (276.9/242.2 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C after 50 cycles of charge‐discharge cycle). In addition, the porous Li2MnSiO4/C exhibits an excellent rate performance that it still has a discharge specific capacity of 163.2 mAh g−1 even at 1 C. Its outstanding electrochemical properties are attributed to the unique porous carbon nanostructure, which not only improves the conductivity of the material, but also facilitates the transfer of ions in the material. This facile and low‐cost of porous Li2MnSiO4/C cathode material has great potential in the future development of lithium ion batteries.
Pd‐Polypyrrole Nanocomposite in Environmentally Friendly Synthesis of Vinylnitriles Using K4Fe(CN)6
Authors: Magdesieva Tatiana V. , Nikitin Oleg M. , Polyakova Olga V. , Sazonov Petr K. , Zolotukhina Ekaterina V. , Gor'kov Konstantin V. , Samarov Alexander V. , Vorotyntsev Mikhail A.
Published: April 2018

An efficient cyanation of vinyl bromides, activated chlorides and mesylates with K4Fe(CN)6 has been performed using palladium polypyrrole nanocomposite. The reactions are clean and high yielding. They are highly stereoselective furnishing (E)‐nitriles from (E)‐halides and Z‐nitriles from Z‐halides. Chemoselective cyanation of sp2(vinyl)‐Br bond in the presence of sp2(aryl)‐Br is possible. The additional advantages offered by the suggested catalytic system are operational simplicity and the environmentally friendly synthetic methodology (no toxic ligands and the possibility to use environmentally benign aqueous solutions). The catalyst is active under heating and under MW irradiation; it can be reused at least three times.
Functionalized Bis(triazolyl)phenylmethanol–palladium(II) Catalysts for Cross Coupling Reactions in Water
Authors: Ampawa Supanan , Kethong Chanin , Kiriratnikom Jiraya , Phomphrai Khamphee , Sangtrirutnugul Preeyanuch
Published: April 2018

PdII‐bis(triazolyl)phenylmethanol complexes bearing different groups (i. e., H, OMe, OH, COOH) directly attached to the benzyl rings were explored as precatalysts for copper‐free Sonogashira and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions in water. Crystal structures reveal a bidentate N,N binding mode of the bis(triazolyl) ligands affording a distorted square planar PdII complexes. With the exception of the phenol‐substituted bis(triazolyl) ligands, the other three Pd complexes exhibited high activities toward Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study and PPh3 poisoning experiments confirm that bis(triazoly)‐stabilized Pd nanoparticles (Pd NPs) were generated in situ during the catalytic reactions and involved as one of the active catalytic species in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross coupling.
River‐Specific Gene Expression Patterns Associated with Habitat Selection for Key Hormone‐Coding Genes in Glass Eel‐Stage American Eels
Authors: Gaillard Mélanie , Pavey Scott A. , Bernatchez Louis , Audet Céline
Published: April 2018

The glass eel stage of the American Eel Anguilla rostrata marks the onset of the catadromous migration into estuarine or freshwater habitats, and the endocrine mechanisms underlying this habitat selection are still not well understood. Using a candidate genes approach, the aim of this study was to test for different patterns of gene expression related to (1) salinity preferences and/or (2) capture site to predict physiological differences between migratory behaviors. We performed analyses revealing the expression of genes coding for key hormonal factors or their receptors on glass eel‐stage American Eels collected at the mouths of three rivers on the east coast of Canada (Grande‐Rivière‐Blanche, St. Lawrence estuary; Rivière‐Saint‐Jean, Gaspé Peninsula; and the Mersey River, Nova Scotia); eels from the three systems displayed different salinity preferences (brackish water/salt water/freshwater) under laboratory conditions. Transcripts from genes coding for prolactin (PRL), thyroid‐stimulating hormone β subunit, type‐2 iodothyronine deiodinase (DIO‐2), thyroid hormone receptors αa and αb (THRαa and THRαb), growth hormone (GH), insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1), and their respective receptors (GH‐R1 and IGF‐1R) were all detected in glass eels. No differences in the expression patterns were detected pertaining to salinity preference, but strong differences were found among rivers. Rivière‐Saint‐Jean glass eels, which were the longest and the least pigmented among the three rivers, were characterized by the highest expression of PRL, DIO‐2, and THRαb. Those from Grande‐Rivière‐Blanche showed an increase in IGF‐1R. Glass eels captured from these two rivers also exhibited the highest expression of GH and GH‐R1. Overall, these results confirm gene × environment interactions at the gene expression level when glass eels settle into their continental habitat. As such, our results also support the concept of the presence of different ecotypes in the Atlantic Canadian coast and in the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The top 5 sections of the FERPA regulations: Consider how FERPA applies to contractors
Authors: Rainsberger Richard
Published: April 2018

Last month's column described a few examples where school officials did not have a legitimate educational interest. They used education records disreputably to support their selfish personal interests. These “dark side” instances are few. However, it takes only one loose cannon to embroil a college in months of Family Policy Compliance Office–related inquiries.
Help black men overcome barriers to graduation
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: April 2018

The most rewarding part of David D. Page's job is attending commencement. As vice president for enrollment management at Dillard University in Louisiana, Page gets a front‐row seat as young people, many of them the first in their families to go to college, graduate.
An actuator disk method with tip‐loss correction based on local effective upstream velocities
Authors: Moens Maud , Duponcheel Matthieu , Winckelmans Grégoire , Chatelain Philippe
Published: April 2018

This work aims at assessing the performance of a tip‐loss correction for advanced actuator disk (AD) methods coupled to large eddy simulation and making this correction possible in a wind farm configuration. The classical Glauert tip‐loss factor, commonly used in the blade element momentum method, is added here to correct the tip and the root induced velocities at the rotor. However, it requires a reference upstream velocity, which is problematic to define in complex flows, such as in wind farms. A methodology is proposed here to infer an effective upstream velocity local to each disk element, based on the one‐dimensional momentum theory and using only the local data at the rotor. This estimation is verified through a set of simulations, leading to good results in spite of the crude assumptions of the one‐dimensional momentum theory. This AD supplemented with the tip‐loss correction is compared with a high fidelity vortex particle‐mesh method, through the simulations in uniform wind of a constant circulation wind turbine and of a more realistic machine, the NREL‐5MW rotor. The results show that the AD behavior is clearly improved by the addition of a tip‐loss factor and the potential errors on the effective upstream velocity estimation have a moderate impact on the tip‐loss correction.
Transformation of Higher Education Institutional Landscape in Post-Soviet Countries: From Soviet Model to Where?
Authors: Smolentseva Anna , Huisman Jeroen , Froumin Isak
Published: April 2018

This chapter introduces the project that aimed at mapping the institutional landscape changes in higher education in 15 post-Soviet countries. The project takes the Soviet legacy as a point of departure and describes and analyses the important developments that took place with the fall of the Soviet system and the impacts these developments had on the landscape. Key developments pertain to, for example, the change from a state-dominated ideology to a steering philosophy with many market elements, finding a new balance between supply and demand, international developments and demographic developments. The landscapes have changed significantly with the emergence of non-state providers, a reconfiguration of “traditional” institutions (universities, academies, institutes) and also a growth in the public sectors of higher education.
Moldova: Institutions Under Stress—The Past, the Present and the Future of Moldova’s Higher Education System
Authors: Bischof Lukas , Tofan Alina
Published: April 2018

The Republic of Moldova has a long history of shifting borders, and a short history as an independent state. The real development of higher education started only after 1944, in the form of an integral part of the Soviet system of education and research. After independence, its development was shaped strongly by market forces, a demographic decline, alternative study options abroad and last but not least, the all-too-often contradictory policy preferences of changing governments and ministers for education. As a result, on the one hand, the country perpetuated many of the Soviet institutional arrangements in the higher education system, especially the centralised governance arrangements and the academy of science system. On the other hand, the political will to break with the Soviet past and to orientate the country towards Romania and the European Union has spawned a number of policy initiatives, including the ascension to the Bologna Process, greater institutional autonomy, governance democratisation and the implementation of a quality assurance framework along European models. Their implementation, however, has often been hampered by relatively weak institutions and political factionism. As a consequence, the differentiation of the HE system of the Republic of Moldova takes the shape of a dynamic, often contradictory process in which instable institutions are attempting to cope with growing pressures of global, European and local origins.
Uzbekistan: Higher Education Reforms and the Changing Landscape Since Independence
Authors: Ruziev Kobil , Burkhanov Umar
Published: April 2018

This chapter is the first study that carefully documents higher education (HE) reforms in Uzbekistan since the demise of the former Soviet Union. It analyses evolution of the sector with clear emphasis on government policy and its impact on changing the country’s higher education landscape since independence. The study highlights complex interactions between the distinct pre- and post-independence contexts, policy legislation and its implementation on the one hand, and the demands of the new market-based economic system and the requirements of building and strengthening state institutions to support the transition process on the other hand. The paper will show why the country’s peculiar ‘strictly top-down’ approach to reforms has not been successful in improving a number of key areas including access to higher education, and human as well as physical capacities of higher education institutions which ultimately determine the quality of higher education provisioning.
Institutional Strategies of Higher Education Reform in Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan: Differentiating to Survive Between State and Market
Authors: Shadymanova Jarkyn , Amsler Sarah
Published: April 2018

Between 1991 and today, the Soviet system of state-funded and Communist Party controlled higher education institutions (HEIs) in Kyrgyzstan has been transformed into an expansive, diverse, unequal, semiprivatized and marketized higher education landscape. Drawing on national and international indicators of higher education in Kyrgyzstan and data about the history and substance of these changes in policy and legislation, this chapter examines key factors which have shaped patterns of institutional differentiation and diversification during this period. These include the historical legacies of Soviet educational infrastructures, new legal and political frameworks for HE governance and finance, changes to regulations for the licensing of institutions and academic credentials, the introduction of multinational policy agendas for higher education in the Central Asian region, changes in the relationship between higher education and labor, the introduction of a national university admissions examination, and the adoption of certain principles of the European Bologna Process. The picture of HE reform that emerges from this analysis is one in which concurrent processes of diversification and homogenization are not driven wholly by either state regulation or forces of market competition, but mediated by universities’ strategic negotiations of these forces in the context of historical institutional formations in Kyrgyzstan.
Supersymmetric flaxion
Authors: Ema Yohei , Hagihara Daisuke , Hamaguchi Koichi , Moroi Takeo , Nakayama Kazunori
Published: April 2018

Abstract

Recently, a new minimal extension of the Standard Model has been proposed, where a spontaneously broken, flavor-dependent global U(1) symmetry is introduced. It not only explains the hierarchical flavor structure in the quark and lepton sector, but also solves the strong CP problem by identifying the Nambu-Goldstone boson as the QCD axion, which we call flaxion. In this work, we consider supersymmetric extensions of the flaxion scenario. We study the CP and flavor violations due to supersymmetric particles, the effects of R-parity violations, the cosmological gravitino and axino problems, and the cosmological evolution of the scalar partner of the flaxion, sflaxion. We also propose an attractor-like inflationary model where the flaxion multiplet contains the inflaton field, and show that a consistent cosmological scenario can be obtained, including inflation, leptogenesis, and dark matter.
Holographic mutual information of two disjoint spheres
Authors: Chen Bin , Fan Zhong-Ying , Li Wen-Ming , Zhang Cheng-Yong
Published: April 2018

Abstract

We study quantum corrections to holographic mutual information for two disjoint spheres at a large separation by using the operator product expansion of the twist field. In the large separation limit, the holographic mutual information is vanishing at the semiclassical order, but receive quantum corrections from the fluctuations. We show that the leading contributions from the quantum fluctuations take universal forms as suggested from the boundary CFT. We find the universal behavior for the scalar, the vector, the tensor and the fermionic fields by treating these fields as free fields propagating in the fixed background and by using the 1/n prescription. In particular, for the fields with gauge symmetries, including the massless vector boson and massless graviton, we find that the gauge parts in the propagators play an indispensable role in reading the leading order corrections to the bulk mutual information.
Weyl corrections to diffusion and chaos in holography
Authors: Li Wei-Jia , Liu Peng , Wu Jian-Pin
Published: April 2018

Abstract

Using holographic methods in the Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton-axion (EMDA) theory, it was conjectured that the thermal diffusion in a strongly coupled metal without quasi-particles saturates an universal lower bound that is associated with the chaotic property of the system at infrared (IR) fixed points [1]. In this paper, we investigate the thermal transport and quantum chaos in the EMDA theory with a small Weyl coupling term. It is found that the Weyl coupling correct the thermal diffusion constant D

Q
and butterfly velocity v

B
in different ways, hence resulting in a modified relation between the two at IR fixed points. Unlike that in the EMDA case, our results show that the ratio D

Q
/(v

B

2
τ

L
) always contains a non-universal Weyl correction which depends also on the bulk fields as long as the U(1) current is marginally relevant in the IR.
Intersecting branes, Higgs sector, and chirality from $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM with soft SUSY breaking
Authors: Sperling Marcus , Steinacker Harold C.
Published: April 2018

Abstract

We consider SU(N )

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 4 super Yang-Mills with cubic and quadratic soft SUSY breaking potential, such that the global SU(4)
R
is broken to SU(3) or further. As shown recently, this set-up supports a rich set of non-trivial vacua with the geometry of self-intersecting SU(3) branes in 6 extra dimensions. The zero modes on these branes can be interpreted as 3 generations of bosonic and chiral fermionic strings connecting the branes at their intersections. Here, we uncover a large class of exact solutions consisting of branes connected by Higgs condensates, leading to Yukawa couplings between the chiral fermionic zero modes. Under certain decoupling conditions, the backreaction of the Higgs on the branes vanishes exactly. The resulting physics is that of a spontaneously broken chiral gauge theory on branes with fluxes. In particular, we identify combined brane plus Higgs configurations which lead to gauge fields that couple to chiral fermions at low energy. This turns out to be quite close to the Standard Model and its constructions via branes in string theory. As a by-product, we construct a G
2-brane solution corresponding to a squashed fuzzy coadjoint orbit of G
2.
DIS off glueballs from string theory: the role of the chiral anomaly and the Chern-Simons term
Authors: Kovensky Nicolas , Michalski Gustavo , Schvellinger Martin
Published: April 2018

Abstract

We calculate the structure function F
3(x, q
2) of the hadronic tensor of deep inelastic scattering (DIS) of charged leptons from glueballs of

$$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$

N
=
4

SYM theory at strong coupling and at small values of the Bjorken parameter in the gauge/string theory duality framework. This is done in terms of type IIB superstring theory scattering amplitudes. From the AdS5 perspective, the relevant part of the scattering amplitude comes from the five-dimensional non-Abelian Chern-Simons terms in the SU(4) gauged supergravity obtained from dimensional reduction on S
5. From type IIB superstring theory we derive an effective Lagrangian describing the four-point interaction in the local approximation. The exponentially small regime of the Bjorken parameter is investigated using Pomeron techniques.
Minimally Invasive Versus Open Treatment for Benign Sporadic Insulinoma Comparison of Short‐Term and Long‐Term Outcomes
Authors: Belfiori Giulio , Wiese Dominik , Partelli Stefano , Wächter Sabine , Maurer Elisabeth , Crippa Stefano , Falconi Massimo , Bartsch Detlef K.
Published: April 2018

Background

Benign insulinoma is the most common functioning neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas, and its incidence is estimated at 0.4%. The treatment of choice is organ‐preserving resection. The aim of this study was to compare short‐term and long‐term outcomes of minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic enucleation (MIC‐EN) and open enucleation (O‐EN) for sporadic benign insulinoma.

Methods

A retrospective bi‐institutional analysis of 71 patients who underwent an enucleation for sporadic benign insulinoma between 2003 and 2016 was performed. Patients were analyzed according to intention‐to‐treat principle.

Results

Fifteen (21%) patients underwent MIC‐EN (three robotic and 12 laparoscopic) and 56 (79%) patients O‐EN. In all MIC‐EN patients, the insulinoma was localized by preoperative imaging compared to only 62.5% (35 of 56) patients in the O‐EN group (p = 0.005). Three of the MIC‐EN patients (20%) with insulinomas in the pancreatic head had to undergo a conversion. Excluding conversions, MIC‐EN procedures were shorter (145 vs 180, p = 0.036) compared to O‐EN surgery. Late complications and pathological data did not differ between groups, excluding margin status R1 MIC‐EN (26.7%) compared to O‐EN (10.7%, p = 0.115). After a median follow‐up of 75 (range 1–151) months, all patients were alive, but four (5.6%) patients (one after MIC‐EN and three after O‐EN) developed a functional recurrence. No patient with a R1 resection had a disease recurrence.

Conclusions

MIC‐EN for benign sporadic insulinoma is a safe procedure with at least similar short‐term and long‐term postoperative outcomes as the open technique. Thus, preoperatively localized benign insulinoma should be approached laparoscopically, if technically feasible.
A Phase III Randomized Clinical Trial of a 0.5% Timolol + 0.2% Brimonidine + 2.0% Dorzolamide Fixed Combination, Preservative-Free Ophthalmic Solution vs. 0.5% Timolol + 0.2% Brimonidine + 2.0% Dorzolamide Fixed Combination in Patients with Controlled Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma
Authors: Gómez-Aguayo Francisco , Paczka José A. , Leñero-Córdova Rubén , Jiménez-Román Jesús , Davila-Villarreal Jaime , Hartleben Curt , Baiza-Durán Leopoldo , Olvera-Montaño Oscar , García-Velez Francisco , Muñoz-Villegas Patricia
Published: April 2018

Introduction

The aim of this prospective crossover study was to evaluate the non-inferiority of PRO-122 (a preservative-free fixed combination) compared with 0.5% timolol + 0.2% brimonidine + 2.0% dorzolamide fixed combination (KOF) by evaluating its efficacy, tolerability and safety in subjects with controlled primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) previously treated with KOF for at least 2 months.

Methods

In a prospective, crossover, randomized, double-masked multicenter study, patients previously treated with KOF were randomly assigned to receive either PRO-122 or KOF for 30 days. On day 31, the A sequence changed to KOF, while the B sequence received PRO-122. All patients remained in the protocol for 30 additional days for a total of 60 days. The main efficacy endpoint was maintaining the controlled intraocular pressure (IOP). The safety and tolerability of both products were assessed by the presence of adverse events (AEs), ocular findings, a questionnaire on ocular comfort and the VF-14 index.

Results

A total of 51 patients participated. After application of PRO-122 twice a day, its efficacy was demonstrated through maintenance of the controlled IOP in patients previously controlled with KOF. The crossover between PRO-122 and KOF and vice versa, after 30 days of use, did not affect IOP control. PRO-122 was shown not to be inferior to KOF in maintaining IOP at control levels. The safety of both drugs is similar, as neither presented drug-related AEs or differences regarding safety issues. The tolerability of the two medications—evaluated by ocular findings, the questionnaire on ocular comfort and the VF-14 index—was also determined to be similar.

Conclusions

The controlled IOP in patients with controlled POAG treated with PRO-122 was maintained both in relation to the initial controlled IOP of the study and when compared with KOF in the B sequence. Finally, the treatment with PRO-122 demonstrated similar safety and tolerability to KOF.

Funding

Laboratorios Sophia, S.A. de C.V. (Zapopan, Jalisco, México).

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03257813 (registered retrospectively).
Development and validation of a salivary tau biomarker in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Pekeles Heather , Qureshi Hamid Y. , Paudel Hemant K. , Schipper Hyman M. , Gornistky Mervyn , Chertkow Howard
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Total tau (t‐tau) and phosphorylated tau (p‐tau) are abnormally elevated in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau is also present in the salivary gland tissue and saliva, and salivary measures might produce an accurate, accessible, and inexpensive biomarker.

Methods

Using unstimulated saliva and Western blot analysis, we quantified the p‐tau/t‐tau ratio at different phosphorylation sites.

Results

We found that for one phosphorylation site, S396, p‐tau/t‐tau ratio was significantly elevated in patients with AD compared with normal elderly control subjects. The elevation in saliva, however, did not correlate with cerebrospinal fluid tau or with brain measures such as hippocampal volume.

Discussion

There is significant elevation of p‐tau/t‐tau ratio for the S396 phosphorylation site. Large variation in the AD salivary tau levels, however, limits the utility of this test as a clinical biomarker.