bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zinc deficiency enhanced inflammatory response by increasing immune cell activation and inducing IL6 promoter demethylation
Authors: Wong Carmen P. , Rinaldi Nicole A. , Ho Emily
Published: February 2015

Scope

Zinc deficiency results in immune dysfunction and promotes systemic inflammation. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of zinc deficiency on cellular immune activation and epigenetic mechanisms that promote inflammation. This work is potentially relevant to the aging population given that age‐related immune defects, including chronic inflammation, coincide with declining zinc status.

Methods and results

An in vitro cell culture system and the aged mouse model were used to characterize immune activation and DNA methylation profiles that may contribute to the enhanced proinflammatory response mediated by zinc deficiency. Zinc deficiency upregulated cell activation markers ICAM1, MHC class II, and CD86 in THP1 cells, which coincided with increased IL1β and IL6 responses following LPS stimulation. A decreased zinc status in aged mice was similarly associated with increased ICAM1 and IL6 gene expression. Reduced IL6 promoter methylation was observed in zinc‐deficient THP1 cells, as well as in aged mice and human lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from aged individuals.

Conclusion

Zinc deficiency induced inflammatory response in part by eliciting aberrant immune cell activation and altered promoter methylation. Our results suggested potential interactions between zinc status, epigenetics, and immune function, and how their dysregulation could contribute to chronic inflammation.
Comparative presynaptic effects of the volatile anesthetics sevoflurane and isoflurane at the mouse neuromuscular junction
Authors: Castro Fonseca Matheus De , Da Silva Janice Henriques , Ferraz Vany Perpetua , Gomez Renato Santiago , Guatimosim Cristina
Published: February 2015

Introduction: Sevoflurane and isoflurane are anesthetics that cause muscle relaxation and potentiate the effects of neuromuscular blocking agents. Their presynaptic mechanisms of action are not understood completely, especially at the motor nerve terminal. Methods: We compared the presynaptic effects of these anesthetics on the exocytosis of synaptic vesicles labeled with the dye FM1–43 at the mouse neuromuscular junction. Results: Neither anesthetic evoked spontaneous exocytosis of synaptic vesicles, but both significantly inhibited the depolarization evoked by 4‐aminopyridine and veratridine, suggesting a putative action on sodium channels. Exocytosis evoked by veratridine was inhibited by tetrodotoxin alone or in conjunction with sevoflurane or isoflurane, indicating that both agents may target voltage‐gated sodium channels. Conclusions: We suggest that sevoflurane and isoflurane inhibit exocytosis evoked by sodium‐dependent depolarization and might act on tetrodotoxin‐sensitive sodium channels. These findings contribute to a better understanding of some clinical neuromuscular effects induced by these anesthetics. Muscle Nerve 52: 876–884, 2015
Accuracy of ICD‐9‐CM coding to identify small for gestational age newborns
Authors: Phiri Kelesitse , Hernandez‐Diaz Sonia , Tsen Lawrence C. , Puopolo Karen M. , Seeger John D. , Bateman Brian T.
Published: February 2015

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD‐9‐CM) diagnosis code for small for gestational age (SGA) recorded in administrative healthcare records using birthweight and gestational age information recorded in electronic medical records.

Methods

We used billing and medical records from women aged 13–55 years who delivered at a tertiary care center in the USA between 2004 and 2011. Information on birthweight, gestational age at birth, and ICD‐9‐CM code for SGA, 656.5x, was abstracted from the database. Each infant's birthweight percentile for gestational age was calculated on the basis of published US references; infants below the 10th percentile were classified as SGA. The performance characteristics of SGA ICD‐9‐CM diagnosis code against SGA classification based on birthweight and gestational age were calculated, for all deliveries and by strata of demographic and delivery characteristics.

Results

We identified 51 292 singleton live birth deliveries. The prevalence of SGA infants calculated from birthweight and gestational age at birth was higher (13%) than the prevalence based on ICD‐9‐CM code (2%). Sensitivity of the SGA ICD‐9‐CM code was 14.2%, specificity was 99.7%, positive predictive value was 86.8%, and negative predictive value was 88.4%. Stratification by demographic and delivery characteristics yielded similar results.

Conclusions

Identification of SGA infants using ICD‐9‐CM code, 656.5x, from administrative healthcare records has low sensitivity but high specificity; the accuracy did not differ across demographic and delivery characteristics. Thus, although this source of information would underestimate the prevalence of SGA, it could produce valid relative risk estimates. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Results from a 9‐year Intensive Safety Surveillance Scheme (IS3) in miglustat (Zavesca®)‐treated patients
Authors: Brand Monika , Muller Audrey , Alsop Jonathan , van Schaik Ivo N. , Bembi Bruno , Hughes Derralynn
Published: February 2015

Background

Following approval in the EU in 2002 and the USA in 2003, an Intensive Safety Surveillance Scheme (IS3) was initiated to educate prescribers on the appropriate use of miglustat for the treatment of type I Gaucher disease (GD1), and to actively solicit safety‐relevant information. This report summarises data from all patients enrolled in IS3 between its initiation in 2003 and its closure in October 2012.

Methods

The IS3 was a prospective observational drug registry with a secure internet‐based data capture system. All patients receiving miglustat at participating sites received standard medical care according to routine medical practice. Data on patient and disease characteristics were collected at patient enrolment, subsequent follow‐up visits and treatment discontinuation (if applicable). Data were summarised using descriptive statistics.

Results

During the 9 years of IS3, 407 patients were enrolled at 111 sites across 15 European countries. Approximately half (n = 202) had GD1, and half had other diseases (mainly Niemann–Pick disease type C (NP‐C), for which miglustat was approved in Europe in 2009). In total, 368 patients had data from at least one follow‐up visit, 192 of whom had GD1. IS3 provided data from 798 patient‐years exposure to miglustat. Safety‐relevant data were consistent with earlier published 5‐year findings from IS3, the safety profile reported for miglustat in GD1 clinical trials and other published information on GD1 manifestations.

Conclusions

Overall, the results of this long‐term safety surveillance programme were in line with the well‐known, documented safety profile of miglustat. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Homogeneous synthesis of partially substituted cellulose phenylcarbamates aiming at chiral recognition
Authors: Chen Weiwei , Zhang Mei , Feng Ye , Wu Jin , Gao Xia , Zhang Jinming , He Jiasong , Zhang Jun
Published: February 2015

Homogeneous carbanilation of cellulose with nine kinds of substituted phenyl isocyanates, in which the substituents were varied from electron‐donating to electron‐withdrawing groups, was carried out in 1‐allyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl) without any catalyst. The degree of substitution (DS) of cellulose phenylcarbamates in a range from 0 to 3 was readily controlled by altering reaction temperature, reaction time and molar ratio of phenyl isocyanate/anhydroglucose unit. Furthermore, the electronic effect of the substituents on the aromatic ring had a prominent impact on the reactivity of phenyl isocyanates. The phenyl isocyanates with stronger electron‐withdrawing substituents exhibited a higher reactivity. A plot of DS and Hammett substituent constants exhibited linearity with a positive slope. Subsequently, four kinds of partially substituted cellulose phenylcarbamates with DS of 2.0 were synthesized successfully in AmimCl, and then employed as coated‐type chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for high‐performance liquid chromatography. The enantioseparation results demonstrated that these CSPs exhibited high chiral recognition abilities for some racemates. The substituents on the phenyl moieties had a considerable effect on the chiral recognition ability of cellulose phenylcarbamate‐based CSPs. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Version 4.0 of PaxDb: Protein abundance data, integrated across model organisms, tissues, and cell‐lines
Authors: Wang Mingcong , Herrmann Christina J. , Simonovic Milan , Szklarczyk Damian , von Mering Christian
Published: February 2015

Protein quantification at proteome‐wide scale is an important aim, enabling insights into fundamental cellular biology and serving to constrain experiments and theoretical models. While proteome‐wide quantification is not yet fully routine, many datasets approaching proteome‐wide coverage are becoming available through biophysical and MS techniques. Data of this type can be accessed via a variety of sources, including publication supplements and online data repositories. However, access to the data is still fragmentary, and comparisons across experiments and organisms are not straightforward. Here, we describe recent updates to our database resource “PaxDb” (Protein Abundances Across Organisms). PaxDb focuses on protein abundance information at proteome‐wide scope, irrespective of the underlying measurement technique. Quantification data is reprocessed, unified, and quality‐scored, and then integrated to build a meta‐resource. PaxDb also allows evolutionary comparisons through precomputed gene orthology relations. Recently, we have expanded the scope of the database to include cell‐line samples, and more systematically scan the literature for suitable datasets. We report that a significant fraction of published experiments cannot readily be accessed and/or parsed for quantitative information, requiring additional steps and efforts. The current update brings PaxDb to 414 datasets in 53 organisms, with (semi‐) quantitative abundance information covering more than 300 000 proteins.
Don't underestimate glial cells
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: February 2015

For decades, glial cells languished in relative obscurity. Neurones attracted the interest, kudos and research funding. Here, Mark Greener reports on recent developments in our understanding of the significant role played by glial cells in health and disease. Insights into glial cells' pathological importance and the growing appreciation of their role in normal brain function could offer the prospect of new treatments for multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, and many other conditions.
Leadership: stress and hubris
Authors: Ogden Joy
Published: February 2015

Why do some leaders, from all walks of life, succumb to hubris – arrogance, overweening pride and contempt for others? These questions were the focus of ‘Leadership: stress and hubris’, a conference organised by the Daedalus Trust in conjunction with the British Psychological Society at the Royal Society of Medicine in London in November 2014. Delegates heard about the psychological and biological effects of stress in triggering hubristic behaviour in leaders and possible ways to check its malign effects. Joy Ogden reports.
Speed versus accuracy in cognitive assessment when using CSIs
Authors: Larner Andrew J
Published: February 2015

When using cognitive screening instruments (CSIs) there is always a balance to be struck between test sensitivity and specificity, with the chosen test cut‐off being determined by the needs of the particular clinical situation. Dr Larner investigates whether there is a trade‐off between CSI diagnostic accuracy and administration time, or, in other words, whether shorter CSIs are less accurate than longer ones which may sample more cognitive domains and/or in greater depth.
Functional neuroimaging for dementia: commissioning and evaluating a service
Authors: Kuruvilla Tarun , Phillips Emma , Justin Binuja , Rose Philippa , Lyburn Iain
Published: February 2015

Despite NICE and European guidelines recommending functional neuroimaging for suspected dementia when diagnosis is in doubt, many parts of the country do not have access to it. This article describes how the authors developed a business case leading to a one‐year pilot and eventually recurrent funding for 40 FDG‐PET/CT and five DaTscans per year. It presents the evaluation of the first two years of operation.
Is label‐free LC‐MS/MS ready for biomarker discovery?
Authors: Sandin Marianne , Chawade Aakash , Levander Fredrik
Published: February 2015

Label‐free LC‐MS methods are attractive for high‐throughput quantitative proteomics, as the sample processing is straightforward and can be scaled to a large number of samples. Label‐free methods therefore facilitate biomarker discovery in studies involving dozens of clinical samples. However, despite the increased popularity of label‐free workflows, there is a hesitance in the research community to use it in clinical proteomics studies. Therefore, we here discuss pros and cons of label‐free LC‐MS/MS for biomarker discovery, and delineate the main prerequisites for its successful employment. Furthermore, we cite studies where label‐free LC‐MS/MS was successfully used to identify novel biomarkers, and foresee an increased acceptance of label‐free techniques by the proteomics community in the near future.
Characterization of pH‐sensitive polymer layers by surface plasmon resonance and quartz crystal microbalance
Authors: Kick Alfred , Mertig Michael
Published: February 2015

Layers of pH‐sensitive poly(2‐vinylpyridine) are immobilised on gold surfaces of surface plasmon reson­ance (SPR) or quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sen­sors. Two different polymers are used, one (P2VP‐COOH) with and another (P2VP) without a terminal carboxylic group. Swelling and stiffening are preferably observable in the low protonation state of the polymer layers by QCM. In solutions of hydrochloric acid QCM measurements reveal that P2VP‐COOH forms denser and stiffer layers than P2VP. Both polymers clearly show viscoelastic properties. The SPR sensor detects dilution as well as the incorporation of hydrochloric acid into the sensing layers at lower pH, and therefore, higher protona­tion state of the polymers. SPR and QCM are complementarily used to characterise changes of the mechanical and optical properties of pH‐sensitive poly­mer layers.
High‐temperature ferromagnetism in Fe‐doped wurtzite and zincblende CdS nanoparticles
Authors: Ghosh Anirudha , Paul Sanhita , Gopal R.K. , Raj Satyabrata
Published: February 2015

The evolution of Curie–Weiss temperature (Θ) has been investigated in thiol‐capped Fe‐doped wurtzite (WZ) and zincblende (ZB) CdS nanoparticles. Fe doped CdS nanoparticles with different crystal structures namely WZ and ZB have been obtained by varying its synthesis temperature. It has been found that the magnetic impurity ions are distributed randomly in ZB samples, whereas it form clusters near the surface of WZ CdS nanoparticles. These distributions of magnetic impurities ions alter the density of charge carriers and hence have a significant effect on Θ. An increase in Θ by nearly an order of magnitude has been observed in WZ, as compared to the ZB CdS nanoparticles, which is explained well by considering a relative variation in inter‐Fe separation in the two polymorphs of CdS within the framework of the Heisenberg model. Spatial distribution of Fe3+ ions in ZB and WZ CdS nanoparticles. A blueshift in the UV–visible absorption spectra is observed due to etching, which removes more Fe3+ ions in WZ CdS.
Photon‐mediated interaction of pseudospins in graphene
Authors: Feng Peng , Xie Jianqiao
Published: February 2015

The concept of pseudospins in graphene was previously introduced in order to describe the electron motion near the high‐symmetry point of the Brillouin zone. Many physical properties are related to the pseudospins. In this work, we present a mechanism of mediating the pseudospin interaction by circularly polarized photons. This interaction can switch the out‐of‐plane component of pseudospins and enable graphene to exhibit a ferromagnetic behavior. This mechanism allows us to build an analog quantum simulator of exchange interaction in terms of the optical cavity and graphene. We give the coupling coefficient between the pseudospins located on any two points and calculate the average of the pseudospin component by a generating functional technique. We predict a new type of plasmon‐polariton involving the exchange interaction.
Distributed flood attack detection mechanism using artificial neural network in wireless mesh networks
Authors: Khan Muhammad Altaf , Khan Shafiullah , Shams Bilal , Lloret Jaime
Published: February 2015

Multi‐hop wireless mesh networks (WMNs) are increasingly growing interest as a promising technology for high‐speed network access. WMNs are integrated with other networks such as Internet, sensor networks, and cellular networks through gateways. Therefore gateways in WMNs are prone to various security threads and can be easily exploited by the attacker from any part of the Internet to launch a distributed flooding attack to compromise computer systems, affect the network performance, and destruct the services. Many approaches have been proposed by researchers in this regard but still more efforts are needed in terms of accuracy and efficiency. In this research paper, we will propose an artificial neural network‐based technique for detection of distributed flooding attacks to things such as sensors or actuators in WMNs called the distributed flood attack detector. In our simulation, sample dataset used to train and test the artificial neural network is generated using NS‐2 network simulator. Simulation results and real system implementation proved that the distributed flood attack detector can be used in a real network environment to detect the intermediate and severe distributed flood attacks with low‐false positive and false‐negative rates. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Welcome contributor or no price competitor? The competitive interaction of free and priced technologies
Authors: Eckhardt Jonathan T.
Published: February 2015

The existence of free technologies is prevalent in a variety of industries from software to design. This study examines the competitive interaction between free and priced technologies. I draw on the literature on economic logics to predict that, in general, technologies that are freely shared are likely to stimulate interest and provide useful market information without directly competing with priced technologies. In contrast, due to direct competition,Ipredict that the prevalence of priced technologies will decrease the sales of other priced technologies. I find support for these hypotheses using a sample of more than 1 million transactions in over 200 distinct markets forMobileAppsfor thePalm computing platform. This study highlights how free technologies can be utilized to enhance performance of commercial producers.Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seasonal change in the wetting characteristics of the cuticle of the Collembola Cryptopygus clavatus (Schött, 1893)
Authors: Gundersen Håkon , Thaulow Christian , Leinaas Hans Petter
Published: February 2015

The littoral Collembola Cryptopygus clavatus spends the summer submerged, grazing on algae under water, and the winter on dry land. The cuticles of Collembola are, in general, highly water repellent, often superhydrophobic; the cuticle of C. clavatus has, in contrast, been described as not water repellent. Wetting properties are closely tied to surface structuring, and previous studies of Collembola cuticles have used the pattern of cuticular granules to explain the superhydrophobic properties of these cuticles. The wetting properties of the cuticles of C. clavatus were measured on animals acclimated to summer and winter. A significant difference in wetting performance was observed. Animals acclimated to winter conditions showed superhydrophobic non-wetting properties. Animals acclimated to summer conditions were not superhydrophobic, water droplets readily adhered to their cuticles. This large change in wetting behavior of the cuticle could not be explained by changes in the cuticular surface structure, which were very limited. Instead, we suggest a change in the epicuticular wax layer could explain the differences.
Lipid accumulation by Rhodococcus rhodochrous grown on glucose
Authors: Shields-Menard Sara A , Amirsadeghi Marta , Sukhbaatar Badamkhand , Revellame Emmanuel , Hernandez Rafael , Donaldson Janet R , French W Todd
Published: February 2015

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from costly vegetable oil feedstocks. Some microorganisms can accumulate lipids when nutrients are limited and carbon is in excess. Rhodococcus rhodochrous is a gram-positive bacterium most often used in bioremediation or acrylamide production. The purpose of this study was to investigate and characterize the lipid accumulation capabilities of R. rhodochrous. Shake flasks and a large-scale fermentation were used to cultivate R. rhodochrous in varying concentrations of glucose. R. rhodochrous achieved almost 50 % of dry cell mass as lipid when grown in 20 g/L of glucose. Wax esters and triglycerides were identified in R. rhodochrous lipid extract. The transesterified extractables of R. rhodochrous consisted of mostly palmitic (35 %) and oleic (42 %) acid methyl esters. This study shows R. rhodochrous to be an oleaginous bacterium with potential for application in alternative fuels.
Quantitative Analysis of TAG in Oils Using Lithium Cationization and Direct‐Infusion ESI Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Ramaley Louis , Herrera Lisandra Cubero , Melanson Jeremy E.
Published: February 2015

This study was undertaken to determine whether triple‐stage mass spectrometry (MS3) could be employed to obtain quantitative and regioisomeric data from complex oil samples without the need for a chromatographic step in the analysis protocol. Lithium‐7 trifluoroacetate and electrospray ionization were used to form lithium adducts of the triacylglycerols (TAG) in a fish oil sample. The first‐generation precursor ion was the lithium‐TAG adduct, the second‐generation precursor ion was formed by loss of a neutral acid side chain in the first fragmentation. The ions used for analysis were formed in the second fragmentation by loss of the lactones of the acid side chains remaining after the first fragmentation. This analysis scheme provided quantitative and regioisomeric data without interference from TAG in the sample other than TAG with the same acyl carbon number, one more double bond, and two acyl side chains in common with the analyte. Even in this case a majority of the interferences could be estimated and compensated. Analysis of synthetic samples containing the fish oil matrix indicated that both absolute and relative quantitative data could be obtained with average errors of approximately 5 %. The method proved well suited to routine analyses of complex oil samples.
Longitudinal Evaluation of Clinical and Colonization Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Among Veterans
Authors: Stenehjem Edward , Crispell Emily K. , Rimland David , Farley Monica M. , Satola Sarah W.
Published: February 2015

Using the Veterans’ Health Administration MRSA Directive as a platform to collect methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization isolates and an active MRSA infection surveillance program, the genetic relatedness of colonization and infection isolates was evaluated. Infection and colonization strain concordance was found in 85.7% of patients. The USA 500 MRSA strain was identified in 31.8% of patients.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;00(0): 1–3
Environmental Transmission ofClostridium difficile: Association Between Hospital Room Size andC. difficileInfection
Authors: Jou Justine , Ebrahim John , Shofer Frances S. , Hamilton Keith W. , Stern John , Han Jennifer H.
Published: February 2015

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between hospital room square footage and acquisition of nosocomialClostridium difficileinfection (CDI).

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted at a university hospital during the calendar year of 2011. Case patients were adult inpatients with nosocomial CDI. Control patients were hospitalized patients without CDI and were randomly selected and matched to cases in a 2:1 ratio on the basis of hospital length of stay in 3-day strata. A multivariate model was developed using conditional logistic regression to evaluate risk factors for nosocomial CDI.

RESULTS

A total of 75 case patients and 150 control patients were included. On multivariate analyses, greater square footage of the hospital room was associated with a significantly increased risk of acquiring CDI (odds ratio for every 50 ft2increase, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.75–5.16;P<.001). Other factors associated with an increased risk of CDI were location in a single room (odds ratio, 3.43; 95% CI, 1.31–9.05;P=.01), malignant tumor (4.56; 1.82–11.4;P=.001), and receipt of cefepime (2.48; 1.06–5.82;P=.04) or immunosuppressants (6.90; 2.07–23.0;P=.002) within the previous 30 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater room square footage increased the risk of acquisition of CDI in the hospital setting, likely owing to increased environmental contamination and/or difficulty in effective disinfection. Future studies are needed to determine feasible and effective cleaning protocols based on patient and room characteristics.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2015;00(0): 1–5
Intangible assets and decline: a population ecology perspective
Authors: Wei Yu-Chen , Lin Carol Yeh-Yun
Published: February 2015

This paper investigates the effects of environmental pressure, human capital, and social capital on organizational effectiveness and decline using a population ecology perspective. Panel data with 1,553 observations from 398 companies spanning 4 years in Taiwan were used for analyses. Research results indicate that several environmental pressure indicators significantly affect organization effectiveness and decline. Although human capital and social capital did not predict our outcome variables, human capital plays a moderating role in explaining the variation of the relationship between environmental pressure and organizational effectiveness. This paper provides a new perspective that suggests that organizations should accumulate intangible assets to resist the threat of external environmental pressure. The leading consumer electronics company Samsung is a good example supporting our argument that investment in human capital can produce commercial benefits, especially in tough economic times.
Adult nasal gliomas
Authors: Xie C , Hampal S , Li C
Published: February 2015

Background:

Nasal gliomas are congenital neurogenic tumours that are mostly diagnosed in the perinatal period. They occur in 1 in 20 000–40 000 live births. Cases reported in adulthood are rare and the management in adults is controversial.

Case report:

A 55-year-old female had an incidental diagnosis of nasal glioma after routine endoscopic sinus surgery and polypectomy. Post-operatively, there was symptomatic improvement, but it was complicated by a cerebrospinal fluid leak.

Conclusion:

Most adults who present with nasal gliomas have non-specific nasal symptoms, and diagnosis is made from an incidental finding of heterotopic glial tissue. The management of nasal gliomas in adults is contentious. In contrast, management in the paediatric population is better established and the treatment is surgical excision. The relevant literature is reviewed.
La Santa Muerte in Mexico City: The Cult and its Ambiguities
Authors: KRISTENSEN REGNAR ALBÆK
Published: February 2015

This article explores the worship of La Santa Muerte through a geo-mapping of street altars in Mexico City followed by an ethnographic analysis of the devotees' relationships with the saint. I find that this saint has gained momentum among the fast-growing prison population over the last two decades. In contrast to studies that emphasise the desertification of mass incarceration elsewhere, this study finds that La Santa Muerte connects families across the social abyss of imprisonment. I suggest that the family-like relationships that devotees maintain with this saint are crucial to understanding her success. Rather than a one-dimensional sacred defender of criminals and police she is adopted by prisoners, prison officers, police and their families as a capricious ‘family member’, embracing the same ambivalence as the forces she helps to navigate.
Environment-related and host-related factors affecting the occurrence of lice on rodents in Central Europe
Authors: STANKO MICHAL , FRIČOVÁ JANA , MIKLISOVÁ DANA , KHOKHLOVA IRINA S. , KRASNOV BORIS R.
Published: February 2015

We studied the effects of environment- (habitat, season) and host-related (sex, body mass) factors on the occurrence of four species of lice (Insecta:Phthiraptera:Anoplura) on six rodent species (Rodentia:Muridae). We asked how these factors influence the occurrence of lice on an individual host and whether different rodent–louse associations demonstrate consistent trends in these effects. We found significant effects of at least one environment-related and at least one host-related factor on the louse occurrence in five of six host–louse associations. The effect of habitat was significant in two associations with the occurrence of lice being more frequent in lowland than in mountain habitats. The effect of season was significant in five associations with a higher occurrence of infestation during the warm season in four associations and the cold season in one association. Host sex affected significantly the infestation by lice in three associations with a higher frequency of infestation in males. Host body mass affected the occurrence of lice in all five associations, being negative in wood mice and positive in voles. In conclusion, lice were influenced not only by the host- but also by environment-related factors. The effects of the latter could be mediated via life history parameters of a host.
Course of cannabis use and clinical outcome in patients with non-affective psychosis: a 3-year follow-up study
Authors: van der Meer F. J. , Velthorst E. ,   Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) Investigators
Published: February 2015

Background

Prospective studies on the relationship between course of cannabis use and clinical outcome in patients with non-affective psychotic disorders are inconclusive. The current study examined whether (1) persistent, recently started, discontinued and non-cannabis-using patients with a psychotic disorder differed with regard to illness outcome at 3-year follow-up, and (2) whether timing of cannabis discontinuation was associated with course of clinical outcome.

Method

This 3-year follow-up study was part of a multi-center study in the Netherlands and Belgium (Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis; GROUP). We used mixed-model analyses to investigate the association between pattern of cannabis use and symptoms, global functioning and psychotic relapse.

Results

In our sample of 678 patients, we found persistent users to have more positive and general symptoms, worse global functioning and more psychotic relapses compared with non-users and discontinued users [Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive, p < 0.001; PANSS general, p < 0.001; Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) symptoms, p = 0.017; GAF disability, p < 0.001; relapses, p = 0.038]. Patients who started using cannabis after study onset were characterized by worse functioning at baseline and showed an increase in general symptoms (including depression and anxiety) at the 3-year follow-up (p = 0.005). Timing of cannabis discontinuation was not associated with clinical outcome.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that cannabis use in patients with a psychotic disorder has a long-lasting negative effect on illness outcome, particularly when persistent. Treatment should focus on discouraging cannabis use.
Receiver Time Misalignment Correction for GPS-based Attitude Determination
Authors: Zhang Xiaohong , Wu Mingkui , Liu Wanke
Published: February 2015

A prerequisite for a Global Positioning System (GPS) attitude determination is to calculate baselines between antennae with accuracy at the millimetre level simultaneously. However, in order to have a low cost attitude determination system, a set of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) receivers with separate clocks are used. In this case, if the receiver clocks are not precisely synchronized, the baseline vector between antennae will be calculated from the GPS signals received at different times. This can be a significant error source for high-kinematic applications. In this paper, two equivalent and effective approaches are developed to compensate this significant bias for baseline estimation and attitude determination. Test results using real airborne GPS data demonstrate that the receiver time misalignment between the two receivers can result in a 5 cm baseline offset for an aircraft with a 50 m/s velocity; the corresponding attitude errors can reach about 0·50° in yaw and 0·10° in pitch respectively for the attitude determination system with a baseline length of 3·79 m. With the proposed methods, these errors can be effectively eliminated.
Editorial
Authors: FELLEISEN MATTHIAS
Published: February 2015

Over the past six months, we have transitioned to a new leadership team. We are now saying goodbye to Benjamin Pierce, who faithfully served as co-Editor in Chief since 2012, and welcome Jeremy Gibbons from the University of Oxford as new co-Editor in Chief.
Mapping the potential distribution of the Critically Endangered Himalayan Quail Ophrysia superciliosa using proxy species and species distribution modelling
Authors: DUNN JONATHON C. , BUCHANAN GRAEME M. , CUTHBERT RICHARD J. , WHITTINGHAM MARK J. , MCGOWAN PHILIP J. K.
Published: February 2015

The Critically Endangered Himalayan Quail Ophrysia superciliosa has not been reliably recorded since 1876. Recent searches of historical sites have failed to detect the species, but we estimate an extinction year of 2023 giving us reason to believe that the species may still be extant. Species distribution models can act as a guide for survey efforts, but the current land cover in the historical specimen record locations is unlikely to reflect Himalayan Quail habitat preferences due to extensive modifications. Thus, we investigate the use of two proxy species: Cheer Pheasant Catreus wallechi and Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus that taken together are thought to have macro-habitat requirements that encapsulate those of the Himalayan Quail. After modelling climate and topography space for the Himalayan Quail and these proxy species we find the models for the proxy species have moderate overlap with that of the Himalayan Quail. Models improved with the incorporation of land cover data and when these were overlaid with the Himalayan Quail climate model, we were able to identify suitable areas to target surveys. Using a measure of search effort from recent observations of other galliformes, we identify 923 km2 of suitable habitat surrounding Mussoorie in Northern India that requires further surveys. We conclude with a list of five priority survey sites as a starting point.
Setting goal and implementation intentions in consultations between practice nurses and patients with overweight or obesity in general practice
Authors: van Dillen Sonja ME , Noordman Janneke , van Dulmen Sandra , Hiddink Gerrit J
Published: February 2015

Objective

Patients with overweight or obesity increasingly attend general practice, which is an ideal setting for weight-loss counselling. The present study is the first to investigate the quality of weight-loss counselling provided by practice nurses in general practice to patients with overweight or obesity, in order to identify points for improvement.

Design

An observational checklist was developed to assess goal and implementation intentions and ‘missed opportunities for lifestyle counselling’. Comparisons were made with overall consultation goals set by practice nurses, as measured in a post-visit questionnaire.

Setting

Dutch general practice.

Subjects

One hundred video-taped consultations (2010/2011) between practice nurses and patients with overweight or obesity.

Results

Half of the consultations contained a goal intention, of which the majority aimed to change eating behaviour. Only part of these goal intentions could be considered implementation intentions. It appeared that actions (how elements) were not often included here. Lifestyle change was more often perceived as an overall consultation goal than weight change. Regarding patterns of overall consultation goals, the majority addressed only one lifestyle factor at a time. If practice nurses formulated weight change in their overall consultation goal, they also used goal or implementation intentions, especially for weight change. In a quarter of the consultations, practice nurses did not ask any further questions about weight, nutrition or physical activity to gain insight, which is an important ‘missed opportunity for lifestyle counselling’.

Conclusions

Matching implementation intentions to the broader overall consultation goals of practice nurses would be meaningful, leading to desired goal-directed behaviours and subsequent goal attainment.
Highlighting trapping phenomena in microwave GaN HEMTs by low-frequencyS-parameters
Authors: Potier Clément , Jacquet Jean-Claude , Dua Christian , Martin Audrey , Campovecchio Michel , Oualli Mourad , Jardel Olivier , Piotrowicz Stéphane , Laurent Sylvain , Aubry Raphaël , Patard Olivier , Gamarra Piero , di Forte-Poisson Marie-Antoinette , Delage Sylvain L. , Quéré Raymond
Published: February 2015

This paper presents an original characterization method of trapping phenomena in gallium nitride high electron mobility transistors (GaN HEMTs). This method is based on the frequency dispersion of the output-admittance that is characterized by low-frequency S-parameter measurements. As microwave performances of GaN HEMTs are significantly affected by trapping effects, trap characterization is essential for this power technology. The proposed measurement setup and the trap characterization method allow us to determine the activation energy Ea and the capture cross-section σnof the identified traps. Three original characterizations are presented here to investigate the particular effects of bias, ageing, and light, respectively. These measurements are illustrated through different technologies such as AlGaN/GaN and InAlN/GaN HEMTs with non-intentionally doped or carbon doped GaN buffer layers. The extracted trap signatures are intended to provide an efficient feedback to the technology developments
TSC2/mTORC1 signaling controls Paneth and goblet cell differentiation in the intestinal epithelium
Authors: Zhou Y , Rychahou P , Wang Q , Weiss H L , Evers B M
Published: February 2015

The intestinal mucosa undergoes a continual process of proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, which is regulated by multiple signaling pathways. Notch signaling is critical for the control of intestinal stem cell maintenance and differentiation. However, the precise mechanisms involved in the regulation of differentiation are not fully understood. Previously, we have shown that tuberous sclerosis 2 (TSC2) positively regulates the expression of the goblet cell differentiation marker, MUC2, in intestinal cells. Using transgenic mice constitutively expressing a dominant negative TSC2 allele, we observed that TSC2 inactivation increased mTORC1 and Notch activities, and altered differentiation throughout the intestinal epithelium, with a marked decrease in the goblet and Paneth cell lineages. Conversely, treatment of mice with either Notch inhibitor dibenzazepine (DBZ) or mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin significantly attenuated the reduction of goblet and Paneth cells. Accordingly, knockdown of TSC2 activated, whereas knockdown of mTOR or treatment with rapamycin decreased, the activity of Notch signaling in the intestinal cell line LS174T. Importantly, our findings demonstrate that TSC2/mTORC1 signaling contributes to the maintenance of intestinal epithelium homeostasis by regulating Notch activity.
The assembly dynamics of the cytolytic pore toxin ClyA
Authors: Benke Stephan , Roderer Daniel , Wunderlich Bengt , Nettels Daniel , Glockshuber Rudi , Schuler Benjamin
Published: February 2015

Pore-forming toxins are protein assemblies used by many organisms to disrupt the membranes of target cells. They are expressed as soluble monomers that assemble spontaneously into multimeric pores. However, owing to their complexity, the assembly processes have not been resolved in detail for any pore-forming toxin. To determine the assembly mechanism for the ring-shaped, homododecameric pore of the bacterial cytolytic toxin ClyA, we collected a diverse set of kinetic data using single-molecule spectroscopy and complementary techniques on timescales from milliseconds to hours, and from picomolar to micromolar ClyA concentrations. The entire range of experimental results can be explained quantitatively by a surprisingly simple mechanism. First, addition of the detergent n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside to the soluble monomers triggers the formation of assembly-competent toxin subunits, accompanied by the transient formation of a molten-globule-like intermediate. Then, all sterically compatible oligomers contribute to assembly, which greatly enhances the efficiency of pore formation compared with simple monomer addition.
Nonvolatile electric-field control of magnetization in a Y-type hexaferrite
Authors: Shen Shipeng , Chai Yisheng , Sun Young
Published: February 2015

The magnetoelectric effects in multiferroic materials enable the mutual control of electric polarization by a magnetic field and magnetization by an electric field. Nonvolatile electric-field control of magnetization is extremely important for information storage applications, but has been rarely realized in single-phase multiferroic materials. Here we demonstrate the prominent direct and converse magnetoelectric effects in the Y-type hexaferrite BaSrCoZnFe11AlO22 single crystal. The electric polarization due to conical magnetic structure can be totally reversed by a small magnetic field, giving rise to large magnetoelectric coefficients of 6000 and 4000 ps/m at 100 and 200 K, respectively. The ab-plane magnetization can be controlled by electric fields with a large hysteresis, leading to nonvolatile change of magnetization. In addition, the reversal of magnetization by electric fields is also realized at 200 K. These diverse magnetoelectric effects with large coefficients highlight the promise of hexaferrites as potential multiferroic materials.
Porous membrane with high curvature, three-dimensional heat-resistance skeleton: a new and practical separator candidate for high safety lithium ion battery
Authors: Shi Junli , Xia Yonggao , Yuan Zhizhang , Hu Huasheng , Li Xianfeng , Zhang Huamin , Liu Zhaoping
Published: February 2015

Separators with high reliability and security are in urgent demand for the advancement of high performance lithium ion batteries. Here, we present a new and practical porous membrane with three-dimension (3D) heat-resistant skeleton and high curvature pore structure as a promising separator candidate to facilitate advances in battery safety and performances beyond those obtained from the conventional separators. The unique material properties combining with the well-developed structural characteristics enable the 3D porous skeleton to own several favorable properties, including superior thermal stability, good wettability with liquid electrolyte, high ion conductivity and internal short-circuit protection function, etc. which give rise to acceptable battery performances. Considering the simply and cost-effective preparation process, the porous membrane is deemed to be an interesting direction for the future lithium ion battery separator.
Characterization of 10-Hydroxygeraniol Dehydrogenase from Catharanthus roseus Reveals Cascaded Enzymatic Activity in Iridoid Biosynthesis
Authors: Krithika Ramakrishnan , Srivastava Prabhakar Lal , Rani Bajaj , Kolet Swati P. , Chopade Manojkumar , Soniya Mantri , Thulasiram Hirekodathakallu V.
Published: February 2015

Catharanthus roseus [L.] is a major source of the monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs), which are of significant interest due to their therapeutic value. These molecules are formed through an intermediate, cis-trans-nepetalactol, a cyclized product of 10-oxogeranial. One of the key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of MIAs is an NAD(P)+ dependent oxidoreductase system, 10-hydroxygeraniol dehydrogenase (Cr10HGO), which catalyses the formation of 10-oxogeranial from 10-hydroxygeraniol via 10-oxogeraniol or 10-hydroxygeranial. This work describes the cloning and functional characterization of Cr10HGO from C. roseus and its role in the iridoid biosynthesis. Substrate specificity studies indicated that, Cr10HGO has good activity on substrates such as 10-hydroxygeraniol, 10-oxogeraniol or 10-hydroxygeranial over monohydroxy linear terpene derivatives. Further it was observed that incubation of 10-hydroxygeraniol with Cr10HGO and iridoid synthase (CrIDS) in the presence of NADP+ yielded a major metabolite, which was characterized as (1R, 4aS, 7S, 7aR)-nepetalactol by comparing its retention time, mass fragmentation pattern and co-injection studies with that of the synthesized compound. These results indicate that there is concerted activity of Cr10HGO with iridoid synthase in the formation of (1R, 4aS, 7S, 7aR)-nepetalactol, an important intermediate in iridoid biosynthesis.
Genetic polymorphism analyses of 30 InDels in Chinese Xibe ethnic group and its population genetic differentiations with other groups
Authors: Meng Hao-Tian , Zhang Yu-Dang , Shen Chun-Mei , Yuan Guo-Lian , Yang Chun-Hua , Jin Rui , Yan Jiang-Wei , Wang Hong-Dan , Liu Wen-Juan , Jing Hang , Zhu Bo-Feng
Published: February 2015

In the present study, we obtained population genetic data and forensic parameters of 30 InDel loci in Chinese Xibe ethnic group from northwestern China and studied the genetic relationships between the studied Xibe group and other reference groups. The observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.1704 at HLD118 locus to 0.5247 at HLD92 locus while the expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.1559 at HLD118 locus to 0.4997 at HLD101 locus. The cumulative power of exclusion and total probability of discrimination power in the studied group were 0.9867 and 0.9999999999902 for the 30 loci, respectively. Analyses of structure, PCA, interpopulation differentiations and phylogenetic tree revealed that the Xibe group had close genetic relationships with South Korean, Beijing Han and Guangdong Han groups. The results indicated that these 30 loci should only be used as a complement for autosomal STRs in paternity cases but could provide an acceptable level of discrimination in forensic identification cases in the studied Xibe group. Further studies should be conducted for better understanding of the Xibe genetic background.
Discrete states and carrier-phonon scattering in quantum dot population dynamics
Authors: Man Minh Tan , Lee Hong Seok
Published: February 2015

The influence of the growth conditions of multilayer CdTe/ZnTe quantum dots (QDs) on Si substrate upon their carrier dynamics is studied using intensity integration and broadening photoluminescence. The unusual temperature dependence of the line broadening is explained using a model for interband transitions that involves a lowest discrete electronic state (1Se) with different discrete hole states (1S3/2 and 2S3/2) and a 1P transition. These transitions are expected to play a critical role in both the thermally activated energy and the line broadening of the QDs. We also demonstrate that a thermally activated transition between two different states occurs with band low-temperature quenching, with values separated by 5.8–16 meV. The main nonradiative process is thermal escape assisted by carrier scattering via emission of longitudinal phonons through the hole states at high temperature, with an average energy of 19.3–20.2 meV.