bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of CL‐20 and RDX Nanocomposites
Authors: Patel Rajen B. , Stepanov Victor , Swaszek Sean , Surapaneni Ashok , Qiu Hongwei
Published: October 2015

Nanocrystalline explosives offer a number of advantages in comparison to conventional energetics including reduced sensitivity and improved mechanical properties. In this study, formulations consisting of 90 % hexanitro‐hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL‐20) or cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) and 10 % polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) were prepared with mean crystal sizes ranging from 200 nm to 2 μm. The process to create these materials used a combination of aqueous mechanical crystal size reduction and spray drying. The basic physical characteristics of these formulations were determined using a variety of techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Compressive stress‐strain tests on pressed pellets revealed that the mechanical properties of the compositions improved with decreasing crystal size, consistent with Hall‐Petch mechanics. In the most extreme case (involving CL‐20/PVOH formulations), crystal size reduction from 2 μm to 300 nm improved compressive strength and Young’s modulus by 126 % and 61 %, respectively. These results serve to highlight the relevance of structure‐property relationships in explosive compositions, and particularly elucidate the substantial benefits of reducing the high explosive crystal size to nanoscale dimensions.
GP guide to managing patients who wish to fast during Ramadan
Authors: Begum Yasmin
Published: October 2015

This article considers the advice that patients should receive before they take the decision to fast during Ramadan and how their dosage regimens may need to be modified. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Interface Ltd
Estimating Remediation Costs at Contaminated Sites With Varying Amounts of Available Information
Authors: Ram Neil M. , McTiernan Larry , Kinney Lauren
Published: October 2015

Environmental professionals are often tasked with projecting the cost to bring a contaminated site or portfolio of sites to regulatory closure. Fortunately, there are a number of useful guidance documents and industry publications available to assist in such cost projections. However, the usefulness of such tools is limited when adequate costing information is lacking, such as (a) the nature and extent of contamination; (b) regulatory requirements; (c) the remedial approach to be implemented; and/or (d) the duration of operation, maintenance, and monitoring activities. Despite the lack of such information, cost‐to‐closure estimates are nevertheless routinely needed and generated for internal assessments or audits, regulatory disclosures, property acquisitions, insurance claims, litigation, and other business transactions. Cost estimates are also often needed in bankruptcy proceedings where the trier of fact must estimate the total future costs associated with an environmental legacy portfolio to determine the overall value (or solvency in the case of evaluating the potential bankruptcy) of a company. This article presents a solution for developing cleanup costs for single sites or a portfolio of sites using a comprehensive, three‐tiered method that is effective over a wide range of site information. Real‐world examples of the successful application of this method are then provided, based on detailed environmental analyses that were completed for a recent bankruptcy proceeding and a case in which an estimated cleanup cost was needed in a legal proceeding. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Remediating Contaminated Groundwater With Low‐Capacity Injection and Nonpumped Wells
Authors: Hudak Paul F.
Published: October 2015

This modeling study evaluated the capability of low‐capacity wells injecting clean water and nonpumped wells equipped with filter media for containing and removing a contaminant plume in groundwater. Outcomes were compared for configurations of: (1) nonpumped wells, (2) nonpumped wells and injection wells (injecting less than 1 m3/d), and (3) no wells (baseline scenario). Results suggest that hybrid configurations featuring both types of wells can be an effective, low‐cost strategy for containing and remediating contaminated groundwater. Strategically positioned injection wells funnel contaminant plumes toward nonpumped wells, thus requiring fewer nonpumped wells to contain and remove a contaminant plume. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Glancing Back at New Directions for Student Services, 1997–2014
Authors: Whitt Elizabeth J. , Schuh John H.
Published: October 2015

This chapter describes and discusses the topics covered in the New Directions for Student Services sourcebook series from 1997 through 2014 and provides a profile of the guest editors for the series.
Characterizations of Students and Effective Student Affairs Practice
Authors: Kinzie Jillian
Published: October 2015

Undergraduate students have changed over the past 20 years. This chapter traces the evolution of students, reviews effective student affairs responses, and considers practice moving forward.
Contemporary Challenges in Student Affairs Budgeting and Finance
Authors: Gansemer‐Topf Ann M. , Englin Peter D.
Published: October 2015

This chapter traces the recent history of student affairs finance and offers suggestions for dealing with the financial challenges of the future.
Mapping of Air Emissions: A Case Study for Mauritius
Authors: Sookun Anand , Boojhawon R. , Rughooputh S. D. D. V.
Published: October 2015

Emissions modeling provides a basis for reducing greenhouse gases, improving air quality, and planning for healthy development
The Regulation of Renewable Chemicals Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Authors: Bergeson Lynn L.
Published: October 2015

Biobased chemicals—a fast‐growing sector—are subject to TSCA
The impact of gender on long-term mortality in patients with multivessel disease after primary percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Ghauharali-Imami S. , Bax M. , Haasdijk A. , Schotborgh C. , Oemrawsingh P. , Bech J. , van Domburg R. , Zijlstra F.
Published: October 2015

Background

Gender and complete revascularisation are known to affect mortality. The objective of this study was to analyse a gender difference in mortality with respect to complete revascularisation for multivessel disease after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.

Method

In a prospective consecutive cohort of 1472 patients presenting with STEMI for PPCI, between January 2006 and January 2010, 832 patients with multivessel disease were analysed. The primary outcome was long-term mortality.

Results

Median follow-up was 3.3 ± 1.2 years. Complete revascularisation was performed less in females than in males (30 vs. 38 %; p = 0.04). At PPCI, women (27 %, n = 221) were ± 10 years older (p = 0.001), had more hypertension, renal failure and symptoms of heart failure (all p < 0.01). Cumulative long-term mortality with incomplete revascularisation was higher in females (F: 30 vs. M: 15 %, p = 0.01). After adjustment for baseline characteristics, complete revascularisation (0.84; 95 % CI 0.54–1.32) and gender (1.11; 95 % CI 0.73–1.69) lost significance. Also the gender-by-complete revascularisation interaction was not significant at long term. In women, age under 60 years independently predicted higher mortality (HR 10.09; 95 % CI 3.08–33.08; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

In STEMI patients with multivessel disease at PPCI, women under the age of 60 years had higher mortality, but in women older than 60 years comorbidity impacted the outcome of revascularisation strategy in the long term.
Commentary on competency-based medical education and scholarship: creating an active academic culture during residency
Authors: Chan Teresa M. , Luckett-Gatopoulos S. , Thoma Brent
Published: October 2015

None
Revolutionizing Alzheimer's disease and clinical trials through biomarkers
Authors: Mattsson Niklas , Carrillo Maria C. , Dean Robert A. , Devous Michael D. , Nikolcheva Tania , Pesini Pedro , Salter Hugh , Potter William Z. , Sperling Reisa S. , Bateman Randall J. , Bain Lisa J. , Liu Enchi
Published: October 2015

The Alzheimer's Association's Research Roundtable met in May 2014 to explore recent progress in developing biomarkers to improve understanding of disease pathogenesis and expedite drug development. Although existing biomarkers have proved extremely useful for enrichment of subjects in clinical trials, there is a clear need to develop novel biomarkers that are minimally invasive and that more broadly characterize underlying pathogenic mechanisms, including neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, and synaptic dysfunction. These may include blood‐based assays and new neuropsychological testing protocols, as well as novel ligands for positron emission tomography imaging, and advanced magnetic resonance imaging methodologies. In addition, there is a need for biomarkers that can serve as theragnostic markers of response to treatment. Standardization remains a challenge, although international consortia have made substantial progress in this area and provide lessons for future standardization efforts.
Policy analytical capacity: The supply and demand for policy analysis in government
Authors: Howlett M
Published: October 2015

‘‘Policy analytical capacity’’ is an important component of overall policy capacity, bringing together individual level analytical skills (competencies) and resources (capabilities) needed for the systematic evaluation of policy alternatives and practices. Despite the existence of a large body of literature on policy analysis, a more complete picture of the roles played by policy analysts in policy appraisal is needed if the nature of contemporary policy work and formulation activities and the impact and influence of higher and lower levels of capacity of governments in this area are to be better understood.
The Birth of Critical Thinking in Republican Rome
Authors: Moatti Claudia , Schofield Malcolm
Published: October 2015

In this classic work, now appearing in English for the first time, Claudia Moatti analyses the intellectual transformation that occurred at the end of the Roman Republic in response both to the political crisis and to the city's expansion across the Mediterranean. This was a period of great cultural dynamism and creativity when Roman intellectuals, most notably Cicero and Varro, began to explore all areas of life and knowledge and to apply critical thinking to the reassessment of tradition and the development of a systematic new understanding of the Roman past and present. This movement, linked to the development of writing, challenged old forms of authority and adhesion, belief and behaviour, without destroying tradition; and for this reason this rational trend can be described not as a cultural but as an epistemological revolution whose greatest achievement, Professor Moatti argues, was the development of the system of Roman law.
The Conceptual Representation of Consciousness
Authors: Natsoulas Thomas
Published: October 2015

Consciousness is familiar to us first hand, yet difficult to understand. This book concerns six basic concepts of consciousness exercised in ordinary English. The first is the interpersonal meaning and requires at least two people involved in relation to one another. The second is a personal meaning, having to do with one's own perspective on the kind of person one is and the life one is leading. The third meaning has reference simply to one's being occurrently aware of something or as though of something. The fourth narrows the preceding sense to one's having direct occurrent awareness of happenings in one's own experiential stream. The fifth is the unitive meaning of consciousness and has reference to those portions of one's stream that one self-appropriates to make up one's conscious being. The last is the general-state meaning and picks out the general operating mode in which we most often function.
Building on Air
Authors: Stokes Raymond G. , Banken Ralf
Published: October 2015

The industrial gases industry originated in 1886, when a London-based company began producing high-purity oxygen. Initially, purified oxygen was a solution in search of a problem, but demand for it soared early in the twentieth century with the emergence of welding technology. By then, dramatic technological improvements in air separation and purification had emerged, as had most key firms dominating the industry today. Building on air in the decades that followed, the firms expanded their product range and geographical reach to create applications that were essential to every manufacturing process in the modern world, from semiconductor production to oil refining, waste water treatment, and steel-making. This is the first scholarly history of this vital but invisible industry from its origins to the present. Based on unparalleled access to company and public archives, the book explores business and technological development, industrial evolution, and the industry's local roots and international and global reach.
Principles of Cybercrime
Authors: Clough Jonathan
Published: October 2015

Digital technology has transformed the way in which we socialise and do business. Proving the maxim that crime follows opportunity, virtually every advance has been accompanied by a corresponding niche to be exploited for criminal purposes; so-called 'cybercrimes'. Whether it be fraud, child pornography, stalking, criminal copyright infringement or attacks on computers themselves, criminals will find ways to exploit new technology. The challenge for all countries is to ensure their criminal laws keep pace. The challenge is a global one, and much can be learned from the experience of other jurisdictions. Focusing on Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal principles that apply to the prosecution of cybercrimes. This new edition has been fully revised to take into account changes in online offending, as well as new case law and legislation in this rapidly developing area of the law.
Die Verwantschaftsverhältnisse der indogermanischen Sprachen
Authors: Schmidt Johannes , Schuchardt Hugo
Published: October 2015

The German linguists Johannes Schmidt (1843–1901) and Hugo Schuchardt (1842–1927) sought to answer many questions relating to the development of Indo-European languages, which are all believed to be descended from a single common ancestor. Schmidt's Verwantschaftsverhältnisse was originally published in 1872 and Schuchardt's Über die Lautgesetze followed in 1885; here they are reissued together in one volume. Schmidt's work developed the 'wave model' of language change, to which Schuchardt also subscribed. According to this theory, linguistic innovations spread outwards concentrically like waves, which become progressively weaker as time elapses and the distance from their point of origin increases. Since later changes may not cover the same area, there may be no sharp boundaries between neighbouring languages or dialects. This theory stood in opposition to the tree model and the doctrine of sound laws propounded by the Neogrammarian school of linguists, which is roundly critiqued in Schuchardt's contribution.
Autocracy and Redistribution
Authors: Albertus Michael
Published: October 2015

When and why do countries redistribute land to the landless? What political purposes does land reform serve, and what place does it have in today's world? A long-standing literature dating back to Aristotle and echoed in important recent works holds that redistribution should be both higher and more targeted at the poor under democracy. Yet comprehensive historical data to test this claim has been lacking. This book shows that land redistribution - the most consequential form of redistribution in the developing world - occurs more often under dictatorship than democracy. It offers a novel theory of land reform and develops a typology of land reform policies. Albertus leverages original data spanning the world and dating back to 1900 to extensively test the theory using statistical analysis and case studies of key countries such as Egypt, Peru, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. These findings call for rethinking much of the common wisdom about redistribution and regimes.
Modernism and Homer
Authors: Flack Leah Culligan
Published: October 2015

This comparative study crosses multiple cultures, traditions, genres, and languages in order to explore the particular importance of Homer in the emergence, development, and promotion of modernist writing. It shows how and why the Homeric epics served both modernist formal experimentation, including Pound's poetics of the fragment and Joyce's sprawling epic novel, and sociopolitical critiques, including H.D.'s analyses of the cultural origins of twentieth-century wars and Mandelstam's poetic defiance of the totalitarian Stalinist regime. The book counters a long critical tradition that has recruited Homer to consolidate, champion and, more recently, chastise an elitist, masculine modernist canon. Departing from the tradition of reading these texts in isolation as mythic engagements with the Homeric epics, Leah Flack argues that ongoing dialogues with Homer helped these writers to mount their distinct visions of a cosmopolitan post-war culture that would include them as artists working on the margins of the Western literary tradition.
Italian Renaissance Humanism in the Mirror
Authors: Baker Patrick
Published: October 2015

This important study takes a new approach to understanding Italian Renaissance humanism, based not on scholarly paradigms or philosophical concepts but on a neglected yet indispensable perspective: the humanists' understanding of themselves. Through a series of close textual studies, Patrick Baker excavates what humanists thought was important about humanism, how they viewed their own history, what goals they enunciated, what triumphs they celebrated - in short, he attempts to reconstruct humanist identity. What emerges is a small, coherent community dedicated primarily not to political ideology, a philosophy of man, an educational ethos, or moral improvement, but rather to the pursuit of classical Latin eloquence. Grasping the significance this stylistic ideal had for the humanists is essential to understanding both their sense of themselves and the importance they and others attached to their movement. For eloquence was no mere aesthetic affair but rather appeared to them as the guarantor of civilisation itself.
Framing the European Union
Authors: Atikcan Ece Özlem
Published: October 2015

What is the impact of political language upon public opinion towards European integration? Based upon media analysis, public opinion data and over 140 in-depth interviews with senior officials and campaigners, Ece Özlem Atikcan examines six EU referendum votes: in Spain, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg on the European Constitution in 2005; and in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty in 2008 and 2009. In all instances, polls show that the voting public favored the referendum proposals before the campaigns began, yet this initially positive public opinion melted away in three of these six cases. Why did this occur? Atikcan demonstrates that the key to the puzzle lies in political campaigns, where argument strategies can, at least temporarily, reverse public opinion enough to affect referendum outcomes. Providing a critical analysis of campaign strategy and EU communication policy, this book will be essential reading for academics, policymakers, politicians and future campaigners.
Asymptotic descriptions of oblique coherent structures in shear flows
Authors: Deguchi Kengo , Hall Philip
Published: October 2015

Exact coherent states in plane Couette flow are extended to an oblique parallelogram computational domain and the large-Reynolds-number asymptotic descriptions of the states are derived. When the tilt angle of the domain is increased, the states first obey vortex–wave interaction theory and then develop a new asymptotic structure. The latter asymptotic structure is characterized by a self-similar nonlinear interaction localized in the fluid layer. For the largest scale of the self-similar nonlinear structure, the theory predicts an inverse Reynolds number dependence for the tilt angle of the oblique pattern. That result is consistent with the numerical and experimental observations of the laminar–turbulent banded pattern in shear flows.
South Asian individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes have lower plasma vitamin C levels than white Europeans
Authors: Carter Patrice , Gray Laura J. , Morris Danielle H. , Davies Melanie J. , Khunti Kamlesh
Published: October 2015

Individuals of South Asian origin are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes; the relationship between this risk and diet remains to be investigated fully. Furthermore, fruit and vegetable intake remains low throughout the world and previous data suggest that intake is associated with risk of diabetes. The aim of this research study was to compare plasma vitamin C concentrations, measured as a biomarker for fruit and vegetable intake, in South Asian and white European individuals. Participants recruited as part of the Let's Prevent Diabetes Study provided samples for the quantification of plasma vitamin C. We compared vitamin C levels by ethnicity using multiple regression, both unadjusted and adjusted for confounders, including glycaemic status. Mean plasma vitamin C was significantly lower in the South Asian participants compared with white European participants (34.5 (sd 19·8) v. 39·9 (sd 22·1) µmol/l, respectively; P ≤ 0·0001). Significantly fewer South Asian individuals consumed five portions of fruit and vegetables per d, as determined by a plasma vitamin C concentration of ≥ 50 µmol/l (23·2 % (n 58) v. 31·4 % (n 558); P = 0·01). Vitamin C reflects habitual fruit and vegetable consumption; thus results suggest that South Asians have lower fruit and vegetable intake. However, it cannot be excluded that vitamin C is utilised differently. Dietary advice specifically targeting the South Asian population should be developed.
Internationalization and Performance of Chinese Family Firms: The Moderating Role of Corporate Governance
Authors: Lu Jane Wenzhen , Liang Xueji , Shan Mengmeng , Liang Xiaoya
Published: October 2015

This study investigates the differential effects of internationalization on two dimensions of family firms’ performance: growth and profitability. Drawing on the contingency theory, we argue that the successful implementation of internationalization strategy requires an appropriate organization structure, which is usually absent in Chinese family firms. To the extent that such a structure is established, these firms can realize greater benefits from internationalization. From a sample of 225 family firms in China, our predictions receive empirical support. We find that internationalization has a positive impact on growth but a negative impact on profitability. The negative internationalization–firm profitability relationship highlights the challenges internationalizing Chinese family firms face. The positive moderating effect of corporate governance, a critical component of organization structure, underscores the need for appropriate corporate governance to support the implementation of strategy. The findings have important practical implications for the internationalization of Chinese family firms.
LOCALIZING GLOBAL COMPETITION LAW IN VIETNAM: A BOTTOM-UP PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Gillespie John
Published: October 2015

Global laws are an important inspiration for commercial law reforms around the world. Much analysis of this phenomenon emphasizes the capacity of regulatory élites, such as lawmakers, courts and lawyers, to adapt global laws to local conditions. What is often absent from this top-down analysis is a wide-ranging consideration of what the regulated think about global laws. This article aims to redress this shortcoming in the comparative literature by drawing fresh perspectives from bottom-up responses to global laws. It takes from socio-legal scholarship a framework for analysing the interface between thought formation and social action and explores the question—how do the regulated conceptualize and localize global laws? If compliance is socially constructed from below, as this literature suggests, then attempts to understand legal globalization by focusing exclusively on regulatory élites misses much of the localization story.
Defining and Measuring Rurality
Authors: Smith Blair J. , Parvin David W.
Published: October 2015

“Rural Development” is a phrase much in the news and literature. Both the terms rural and development are used somewhat ambiguously, though the niceties of having quantitative measures for each term are readily recognized by researchers. Although what constitutes development and how it should be measured is a very important question, the focus of this paper is on the term rural.
The Samaritans in the New Testament
Authors: Sloyan Gerard S.
Published: October 2015

In a painful paradox the word “good” has become forever attached to “Samaritan” by Jesus' Lucan parable (Lk 10:29-37; see 17:16), even while bitter Jewish hostility to this group has continued over the centuries: through the highly redacted polemic against the Samaritans of 2 Kgs 17 (see Sir 50:26) and through Talmudic commentary on it such as that in bKiddushin 75. Dan Jacobson in his recentThe Story of the Stories: The Chosen People and Its Godsees a “propagandistic … intention” in the parable of the Good Samaritan:

It is significant that the passerby who succors the injured man is a Samaritan—i.e., not a Jew, let alone of the priests or levites. (“For Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans,” says the fourth chapter of John, describing a meeting between Jesus and yet another strikingly well-disposed Samaritan.)

In the first century, as now, the praise accorded this separated Jewish group in the Christian writings must have rankled those Judean, Galilean and diaspora Jews to whose notice it came. It would have confirmed them in their view of thenoṣrimas incorrigibly deviant fromhalakah. The principle of the ancient world was, “Your friends are my friends and your enemies are my enemies.” The favorable notice given to these enemies of the Jews by Jesus' followers could only have set the movement back in Jewish eyes.
Transcatheter management of mid-aortic syndrome secondary to myofibroma presenting in infancy with severe left ventricular dysfunction: a case report
Authors: Callahan Ryan , Kreutzer Jacqueline , Debrunner Mark
Published: October 2015

In this study, we summarise a case of a myofibroma causing mid-aortic syndrome due to obstruction of the distal thoracic and abdominal aorta leading to severe left ventricular dysfunction. The patient was managed with percutaneous intervention via balloon dilation and stent placement. On follow-up, the patient has normalisation of ventricular function, is off anti-hypertensives, and is being monitored for re-stenosis.
Paramedic Interpretation of Prehospital Lead-II ST-Segments
Authors: Hill Robert , Heller Michael , Rosenau Alexander , Melanson Scott , Pronchik David , Patterson John , Gulick H.
Published: October 2015

Objective:

To determine the reliability of ST-segment interpretation by paramedics from lead-II rhythm strips obtained in the prehospital setting.

Design:

Prospective, blinded study of 127 patients transported by an urban/rural emergency medical services system with complaints consistent with ischemic heart disease.

Methods:

Emergency department physicians asked emergency medical technician-paramedics (EMT-P) via radio to evaluate ST-segments for elevation or depression and grade it as “mild,” “moderate,” or “severe.” Then, this rhythm strip was interpreted blindly by emergency physicians who also interpreted the lead-II obtained from a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) obtained in the emergency department (ED). The field interpretation was compared with the subsequent readings and the final in-patient diagnosis using positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and the Kappa statistic. Markedly discrepant interpretations were analyzed separately.

Results:

Using physician interpretation as the reference standard, paramedic interpretation of the lead-II ST-segments obtained in the prehospital setting was correct (within ±1 gradation) in 113 out of 127 total cases (89%). Of 105 patients for whom final hospital diagnosis was available, the ST-segment on the rhythm strip obtained in the prehospital setting, had a positive predictive value of 74% and a negative predictive value of 85% for myocardial ischemia or myocardial infarction (MI) (p <0.001, Kappa = 0.59). Discordant interpretations between the paramedics and emergency physicians often were related to a basic misunderstanding of rhythm strip morphology.

Conclusion:

Field interpretation of ST-segments by paramedics is fairly accurate as judged both by emergency physicians and correlation with final patient outcome, but its clinical utility is unproved. A small but clinically significant number of outliers, consisting of markedly discrepant false positives, reflects paramedic uncertainty in identifying the deviations of the ST-segment.
Williams Syndrome: A Genetic Deletion Disorder Presenting Clues to the Biology of Sociability and Clinical Challenges of Hypersociability
Authors: Deutsch Stephen I. , Rosse Richard B. , Schwartz Barbara L.
Published: October 2015

Williams syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from the deletion of ~25-30 genes spanning about 1.5 megabases in the q11.23 region of chromosome 7. Patients with this syndrome present with a combination of a distinctive elfin-like facial appearance; growth retardation; mild mental retardation; an inconsistent cognitive profile that includes visuospatial impairments with good facial discrimination and relatively preserved expressive language skills; and cardiovascular abnormalities. In addition, a striking behavioral feature of the syndrome is the high sociability and empathy that these patients show for others. The study of patients with “partial” deletions of the chromosome band 7q11.23, mutated genes in this region and knockout mice with deletions of specific genes in the homologous G1–G2 region of mouse chromosome 5 are clarifying some genotype/phenotype relationships. Futhermore, genes located in this region that are prominently expressed have been implicated in brain development and function.The neuropsychological profile of patients with Williams syndrome is heterogeneous, highlights important dissociations between cognitive functions and suggests that the behavioral dimensions of sociability, empathy, engageability, and talkativeness may be independent of, or not easily explained by, the cognitive deficits. Williams syndrome has enormous heuristic value because its pathological feature of heightened “sociability” can be a “deficit” symptom of major complex neuropsychiatrie disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism. Data consistent with a core inability of patients with Williams syndrome to inhibit social approach suggest that this disorder may afford an opportunity to study the biological basis of the “drive” toward socialization. From a research perspective, the syndrome lends itself to neurobiological studies of sociability as a dimension that varies independently of cognition (or at least many separable cognitive processes). Importantly, from a clinical perspective, the syndrome challenges us to administer strategic psychosocial interventions that take advantage of the opportunities that “pathological” sociability provide, while avoiding its threats. An illustrative example of an effective strategically planned psychosocial intervention for a patient with Williams syndrome is briefly presented.
Perforin facilitates beta cell killing and regulates autoreactive CD8+ T‐cell responses to antigen in mouse models of type 1 diabetes
Authors: Trivedi Prerak , Graham Kate L , Krishnamurthy Balasubramaninan , Fynch Stacey , Slattery Robyn M , Kay Thomas W H , Thomas Helen E
Published: October 2015

In type 1 diabetes, cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes (CTLs) directly interact with pancreatic beta cells through major histocompatibility complex class I. An immune synapse facilitates delivery of cytotoxic granules, comprised mainly of granzymes and perforin. Perforin deficiency protects the majority of non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mice from autoimmune diabetes. Intriguingly perforin deficiency does not prevent diabetes in CD8+ T‐cell receptor transgenic NOD8.3 mice. We therefore investigated the importance of perforin‐dependent killing via CTL‐beta cell contact in autoimmune diabetes. Perforin‐deficient CTL from NOD mice or from NOD8.3 mice were significantly less efficient at adoptive transfer of autoimmune diabetes into NODRag1−/− mice, confirming that perforin is essential to facilitate beta cell destruction. However, increasing the number of transferred in vitro‐activated perforin‐deficient 8.3 T cells reversed the phenotype and resulted in diabetes. Perforin‐deficient NOD8.3 T cells were present in increased proportion in islets, and proliferated more in response to antigen in vivo indicating that perforin may regulate the activation of CTLs, possibly by controlling cytokine production. This was confirmed when we examined the requirement for direct interaction between beta cells and CD8+ T cells in NOD8.3 mice, in which beta cells specifically lack major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I through conditional deletion of β2‐microglobulin. Although diabetes was significantly reduced, 40% of these mice developed diabetes, indicating that NOD8.3 T cells can kill beta cells in the absence of direct interaction. Our data indicate that although perforin delivery is the main mechanism that CTL use to destroy beta cells, they can employ alternative mechanisms to induce diabetes in a perforin‐independent manner.
Reconstructing the transport history of pebbles on Mars
Authors: Szabó Tímea , Domokos Gábor , Grotzinger John P. , Jerolmack Douglas J.
Published: October 2015

The discovery of remarkably rounded pebbles by the rover Curiosity, within an exhumed alluvial fan complex in Gale Crater, presents some of the most compelling evidence yet for sustained fluvial activity on Mars. While rounding is known to result from abrasion by inter-particle collisions, geologic interpretations of sediment shape have been qualitative. Here we show how quantitative information on the transport distance of river pebbles can be extracted from their shape alone, using a combination of theory, laboratory experiments and terrestrial field data. We determine that the Martian basalt pebbles have been carried tens of kilometres from their source, by bed-load transport on an alluvial fan. In contrast, angular clasts strewn about the surface of the Curiosity traverse are indicative of later emplacement by rock fragmentation processes. The proposed method for decoding transport history from particle shape provides a new tool for terrestrial and planetary sedimentology.
Intracellular Temperature Sensing: An Ultra-bright Luminescent Nanothermometer with Non-sensitivity to pH and Ionic Strength
Authors: Liu Helin , Fan Yanyan , Wang Jianhai , Song Zhongsen , Shi Hao , Han Rongcheng , Sha Yinlin , Jiang Yuqiang
Published: October 2015

Luminescence thermometry usually suffer from cellular complexity of the biochemical environment (such as pH and ionic strength) and thus the accuracy and reliability of the determined intracellular temperature are directly affected. Herein, a photoluminescent nanothermometer composed of polymer encapsulated quantum dots (P-QD) has been developed. And the prepared nanothermometer exhibits some advantages: such as non-sensitivity to pH and ionic strength, as well as high detection sensitivity and ultrahigh reversibility. The intracellular temperature was accurately determined under physiological conditions with different pH and ionic strength and direct measurement of thermogenesis in individual cells has been achieved.
Correction: Corrigendum: Comparison of stimulus-evoked cerebral hemodynamics in the awake mouse and under a novel anesthetic regime
Authors: Sharp Paul S. , Shaw Kira , Boorman Luke , Harris Samuel , Kennerley Aneurin J. , Azzouz Mimoun , Berwick Jason
Published: October 2015

Neural activity is closely followed by a localised change in cerebral blood flow, a process termed neurovascular coupling. These hemodynamic changes form the basis of contrast in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and are used as a correlate for neural activity. Anesthesia is widely employed in animal fMRI and neurovascular studies, however anesthetics are known to profoundly affect neural and vascular physiology, particularly in mice. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of a novel ‘modular’ anesthesia that combined injectable (fentanyl-fluanisone/midazolam) and volatile (isoflurane) anesthetics in mice. To characterize sensory-evoked cortical hemodynamic responses, we used optical imaging spectroscopy to produce functional maps of changes in tissue oxygenation and blood volume in response to mechanical whisker stimulation. Following fine-tuning of the anesthetic regime, stimulation elicited large and robust hemodynamic responses in the somatosensory cortex, characterized by fast arterial activation, increases in total and oxygenated hemoglobin, and decreases in deoxygenated hemoglobin. Overall, the magnitude and speed of evoked hemodynamic responses under anesthesia resembled those in the awake state, indicating that the novel anesthetic combination significantly minimizes the impact of anesthesia. Our findings have broad implications for both neurovascular research and longitudinal fMRI studies that increasingly require the use of genetically engineered mice.
A synchrotron study of microstructure gradient in laser additively formed epitaxial Ni-based superalloy
Authors: Xue Jiawei , Zhang Anfeng , Li Yao , Qian Dan , Wan Jingchun , Qi Baolu , Tamura Nobumichi , Song Zhongxiao , Chen Kai
Published: October 2015

Laser additive forming is considered to be one of the promising techniques to repair single crystal Ni-based superalloy parts to extend their life and reduce the cost. Preservation of the single crystalline nature and prevention of thermal mechanical failure are two of the most essential issues for the application of this technique. Here we employ synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction to evaluate the quality in terms of crystal orientation and defect distribution of a Ni-based superalloy DZ125L directly formed by a laser additive process rooted from a single crystalline substrate of the same material. We show that a disorientation gradient caused by a high density of geometrically necessary dislocations and resultant subgrains exists in the interfacial region between the epitaxial and stray grains. This creates a potential relationship of stray grain formation and defect accumulation. The observation offers new directions on the study of performance control and reliability of the laser additive manufactured superalloys.
Phenotypic vulnerability of energy balance responses to sleep loss in healthy adults
Authors: Spaeth Andrea M. , Dinges David F. , Goel Namni
Published: October 2015

Short sleep duration is a risk factor for increased hunger and caloric intake, late-night eating, attenuated fat loss when dieting and for weight gain and obesity. It is unknown whether altered energy-balance responses to sleep loss are stable (phenotypic) over time and the extent to which individuals differ in vulnerability to such responses. Healthy adults experienced two laboratory exposures to sleep restriction separated by 60–2132 days. Caloric intake, meal timing and weight were objectively measured. Although there were substantial phenotypic differences among participants in weight gain, increased caloric intake and late-night eating and fat intake, responses within participants showed stability across sleep restriction exposures. Weight change was consistent in both normal-weight and overweight adults. Weight change and increased caloric intake were more stable in men whereas late-night eating was consistent in both genders. This is the first evidence of phenotypic differential vulnerability and trait-like stability of energy balance responses to repeated sleep restriction, underscoring the need for biomarkers and countermeasures to predict and mitigate this vulnerability.
Characterization of spatio-temporal epidural event-related potentials for mouse models of psychiatric disorders
Authors: Wang Xin , Pinto-Duarte António , Behrens M. Margarita , Zhou Xianjin , Sejnowski Terrence J.
Published: October 2015

Distinctive features in sensory event-related potentials (ERPs) are endophenotypic biomarkers of psychiatric disorders, widely studied using electroencephalographic (EEG) methods in humans and model animals. Despite the popularity and unique significance of the mouse as a model species in basic research, existing EEG methods applicable to mice are far less powerful than those available for humans and large animals. We developed a new method for multi-channel epidural ERP characterization in behaving mice with high precision, reliability and convenience and report an application to time-domain ERP feature characterization of the Sp4 hypomorphic mouse model for schizophrenia. Compared to previous methods, our spatio-temporal ERP measurement robustly improved the resolving power of key signatures characteristic of the disease model. The high performance and low cost of this technique makes it suitable for high-throughput behavioral and pharmacological studies.
In-plane chemical pressure essential for superconductivity in BiCh2-based (Ch: S, Se) layered structure
Authors: Mizuguchi Yoshikazu , Miura Akira , Kajitani Joe , Hiroi Takafumi , Miura Osuke , Tadanaga Kiyoharu , Kumada Nobuhiro , Magome Eisuke , Moriyoshi Chikako , Kuroiwa Yoshihiro
Published: October 2015

BiCh2-based compounds (Ch: S, Se) are a new series of layered superconductors and the mechanisms for the emergence of superconductivity in these materials have not yet been elucidated. In this study, we investigate the relationship between crystal structure and superconducting properties of the BiCh2-based superconductor family, specifically, optimally doped Ce1−xNdxO0.5F0.5BiS2 and LaO0.5F0.5Bi(S1−ySey)2. We use powder synchrotron X-ray diffraction to determine the crystal structures. We show that the structure parameter essential for the emergence of bulk superconductivity in both systems is the in-plane chemical pressure, rather than Bi-Ch bond lengths or in-plane Ch-Bi-Ch bond angle. Furthermore, we show that the superconducting transition temperature for all REO0.5F0.5BiCh2 superconductors can be determined from the in-plane chemical pressure.
Synergy of endothelial and neural progenitor cells from adipose-derived stem cells to preserve neurovascular structures in rat hypoxic-ischemic brain injury
Authors: Hsueh Yuan-Yu , Chang Ya-Ju , Huang Chia-Wei , Handayani Fitri , Chiang Yi-Lun , Fan Shih-Chen , Ho Chien-Jung , Kuo Yu-Min , Yang Shang-Hsun , Chen Yuh-Ling , Lin Sheng-Che , Huang Chao-Ching , Wu Chia-Ching
Published: October 2015

Perinatal cerebral hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury damages the architecture of neurovascular units (NVUs) and results in neurological disorders. Here, we differentiated adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) toward the progenitor of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and neural precursor cells (NPCs) via microenvironmental induction and investigated the protective effect by transplanting ASCs, EPCs, NPCs, or a combination of EPCs and NPCs (E+N) into neonatal HI injured rat pups. The E+N combination produced significant reduction in brain damage and cell apoptosis and the most comprehensive restoration in NVUs regarding neuron number, normal astrocytes and vessel density. Improvements in cognitive and motor functions were also achieved in injured rats with E+N therapy. Synergistic interactions to facilitate transmigration under in vitro hypoxic microenvironment were discovered with involvement of the neuropilin-1 (NRP1) signal in EPCs and the C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) signals in NPCs. Therefore, ASCs exhibit great potential for cell sources in endothelial and neural lineages to prevent brain from HI damage.
Extensible byssus of Pinctada fucata: Ca2+-stabilized nanocavities and a thrombospondin-1 protein
Authors: Liu Chuang , Li Shiguo , Huang Jingliang , Liu Yangjia , Jia Ganchu , Xie Liping , Zhang Rongqing
Published: October 2015

The extensible byssus is produced by the foot of bivalve animals, including the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata, and enables them to attach to hard underwater surfaces. However, the mechanism of their extensibility is not well understood. To understand this mechanism, we analyzed the ultrastructure, composition and mechanical properties of the P. fucata byssus using electron microscopy, elemental analysis, proteomics and mechanical testing. In contrast to the microstructures of Mytilus sp. byssus, the P. fucata byssus has an exterior cuticle without granules and an inner core with nanocavities. The removal of Ca2+ by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) treatment expands the nanocavities and reduces the extensibility of the byssus, which is accompanied by a decrease in the β-sheet conformation of byssal proteins. Through proteomic methods, several proteins with antioxidant and anti-corrosive properties were identified as the main components of the distal byssus regions. Specifically, a protein containing thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), which is highly expressed in the foot, is hypothesized to be responsible for byssus extensibility. Together, our findings demonstrate the importance of inorganic ions and multiple proteins for bivalve byssus extension, which could guide the future design of biomaterials for use in seawater.
Activation of Vago by interferon regulatory factor (IRF) suggests an interferon system-like antiviral mechanism in shrimp
Authors: Li Chaozheng , Li Haoyang , Chen Yixiao , Chen Yonggui , Wang Sheng , Weng Shao-Ping , Xu Xiaopeng , He Jianguo
Published: October 2015

There is a debate on whether invertebrates possess an antiviral immunity similar to the interferon (IFN) system of vertebrates. The Vago gene from arthropods encodes a viral-activated secreted peptide that restricts virus infection through activating the JAK-STAT pathway and is considered to be a cytokine functionally similar to IFN. In this study, the first crustacean IFN regulatory factor (IRF)-like gene was identified in Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. The L. vannamei IRF showed similar protein nature to mammalian IRFs and could be activated during virus infection. As a transcriptional regulatory factor, L. vannamei IRF could activate the IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE)-containing promoter to regulate the expression of mammalian type I IFNs and initiate an antiviral state in mammalian cells. More importantly, IRF could bind the 5′-untranslated region of L. vannamei Vago4 gene and activate its transcription, suggesting that shrimp Vago may be induced in a similar manner to that of IFNs and supporting the opinion that Vago might function as an IFN-like molecule in invertebrates. These suggested that shrimp might possess an IRF-Vago-JAK/STAT regulatory axis, which is similar to the IRF-IFN-JAK/STAT axis of vertebrates, indicating that invertebrates might possess an IFN system-like antiviral mechanism.