bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In situ experimental formation and growth of Fe nanoparticles and vesicles in lunar soil
Authors: Thompson Michelle S. , Zega Thomas J. , Howe Jane Y.
Published: December 2016

We report the results of the first dynamic, in situ heating of lunar soils to simulate micrometeorite impacts on the lunar surface. We performed slow‐ and rapid‐heating experiments inside the transmission electron microscope to understand the chemical and microstructural changes in surface soils resulting from space‐weathering processes. Our slow‐heating experiments show that the formation of Fe nanoparticles begins at ~575 °C. These nanoparticles also form as a result of rapid‐heating experiments, and electron energy‐loss spectroscopy measurements indicate the Fe nanoparticles are composed entirely of Fe0, suggesting this simulation accurately mimics micrometeorite space‐weathering processes occurring on airless body surfaces. In addition to Fe nanoparticles, rapid‐heating experiments also formed vesiculated textures in the samples. Several grains were subjected to repeated thermal shocks, and the measured size distribution and number of Fe nanoparticles evolved with each subsequent heating event. These results provide insight into the formation and growth mechanisms for Fe nanoparticles in space‐weathered soils and could provide a new methodology for relative age dating of individual soil grains from within a sample population.
Transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation modulates cardiac vagal tone and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha
Authors: Brock C. , Brock B. , Aziz Q. , Møller H. J. , Pfeiffer Jensen M. , Drewes A. M. , Farmer A. D.
Published: December 2016

The vagus nerve is a central component of cholinergic anti‐inflammatory pathways. We sought to evaluate the effect of bilateral transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation (t‐VNS) on validated parameters of autonomic tone and cytokines in 20 healthy subjects. 24 hours after t‐VNS, there was an increase in cardiac vagal tone and a reduction in tumor necrosis factor‐α in comparison to baseline. No change was seen in blood pressure, cardiac sympathetic index or other cytokines. These preliminary data suggest that t‐VNS exerts an autonomic and a subtle antitumor necrosis factor‐α effect, which warrants further evaluation in larger controlled studies.
Spatial analysis for regional behavior of patients with mental disorders in Japan
Authors: Takahashi Kunihiko , Tachimori Hisateru , Kan Chiemi , Nishi Daisuke , Okumura Yasuyuki , Kato Naohiro , Takeshima Tadashi
Published: December 2016

Aim

The aim of our study was to clarify the geographical movement of patients treated in psychiatric facilities, which can provide important information on the resources and health‐care system of psychiatric services.

Methods

We conducted an analysis of nationwide data on psychiatric patients, collected as an additional survey to the conventional ‘630 survey’ in 2014. For the 151 848 initially admitted inpatients during 6 months and the 144 401 outpatients on a specific day, we identified whether a patient was admitted to a psychiatric facility located in the same medical area as his/her residence. We estimated percentages of being from (i) within the medical area, (ii) within the prefecture, and (iii) outside the prefecture, using a Bayesian statistical approach for each secondary medical area.

Results

The inpatients moved across wider areas than did the outpatients. Almost all inpatients and outpatients received their medical treatment at hospitals/clinics within their prefecture of residence.

Conclusion

The current mental health medical system in Japan has been operating according to prefecture unit; thus, it may be appropriate to plan a medical system at a prefectural level.
Impaired intention‐to‐treat survival after listing for liver transplantation in children with biliary atresia compared to other chronic liver diseases: 20 years’ experience from the Nordic countries
Authors: Malenicka S. , Ericzon B.‐G. , Jørgensen M. H. , Isoniemi H. , Karlsen T. H. , Krantz M. , Naeser V. , Olausson M. , Rasmussen A. , Rönnholm K. , Sanengen T. , Scholz T. , Fischler B. , Nemeth A.
Published: December 2016

Biliary atresia (BA) is the most common indication for LT in children. We investigated whether this diagnosis per se, compared to other chronic liver diseases (OCLD), had an influence on patient survival. Data from 421 Scandinavian children, 194 with BA and 227 with OCLD, listed for LT between 1990 and 2010 were analyzed. The intention‐to‐treat survival and influencing risk factors were studied. Patients with BA had higher risk of death after listing than patients with OCLD. The youngest (<1 year) and smallest (<10 kg) children with the highest bilirubin (>510 μmol/L), highest INR (>1.6), and highest PELD score (>20) listed during 1990s had the worst outcome. Given the same PELD score, patients with BA had higher risk of death than patients with OCLD. For adolescents, low weight/BMI was the only prognostic marker. Impaired intention‐to‐treat survival in patients with BA was mainly explained by more advanced liver disease in younger ages and higher proportion of young children in the BA group rather than diagnosis per se. PELD score predicted death, but seemed to underestimate the severity of liver disease in patients with BA. Poor nutritional status and severe cholestasis had negative impact on survival, supporting the “sickest children first” allocation policy and correction of malnutrition before surgery.
Bogen's Critique of Linear‐No‐Threshold Default Assumptions
Authors: Crump Kenny S.
Published: December 2016

In an article recently published in this journal, Bogen(1) concluded that an NRC committee's recommendations that default linear, nonthreshold (LNT) assumptions be applied to dose– response assessment for noncarcinogens and nonlinear mode of action carcinogens are not justified. Bogen criticized two arguments used by the committee for LNT: when any new dose adds to a background dose that explains background levels of risk (additivity to background or AB), or when there is substantial interindividual heterogeneity in susceptibility (SIH) in the exposed human population. Bogen showed by examples that SIH can be false. Herein is outlined a general proof that confirms Bogen's claim. However, it is also noted that SIH leads to a nonthreshold population distribution even if individual distributions all have thresholds, and that small changes to SIH assumptions can result in LNT. Bogen criticizes AB because it only applies when there is additivity to background, but offers no help in deciding when or how often AB holds. Bogen does not contradict the fact that AB can lead to LNT but notes that, even if low‐dose linearity results, the response at higher doses may not be useful in predicting the amount of low‐dose linearity. Although this is theoretically true, it seems reasonable to assume that generally there is some quantitative relationship between the low‐dose slope and the slope suggested at higher doses. Several incorrect or misleading statements by Bogen are noted.
Prediction Of Problematic Internet Use By Attachment In University Students
Authors: Kozan Hatice Irem Ozteke , Kesici Sahin , Buyukbayraktar Cagla Girgin , Yalcin S. Barbaros
Published: December 2016

Aim of this research is to examine the predictive power of attachment style on problematic internet use among university students. Participants of study consist of 481 university students (230 girls). Results indicate that there is a negative correlation between secure attachment style and social benefit/social comfort and there is a positive correlation between preoccupied attachment style and social benefit/social comfort which is a sub-dimension of problematic internet use. Considering predictive power of attachment on problematic internet use, results show that preoccupied, secure and dismissing attachment styles are significant predictors of social benefit/social comfort. Results and comments for the future studies on problematic internet use and attachment were discussed in general.
Angiotensin II reduces the surface abundance of KV1.5 channels in arterial myocytes to stimulate vasoconstriction
Authors: Kidd Michael W. , Bulley Simon , Jaggar Jonathan H.
Published: December 2016

Key points

Several different voltage‐dependent K+ (KV) channel isoforms are expressed in arterial smooth muscle cells (myocytes).

Vasoconstrictors inhibit KV currents, but the isoform selectivity and mechanisms involved are unclear.

We show that angiotensin II (Ang II), a vasoconstrictor, stimulates degradation of KV1.5, but not KV2.1, channels through a protein kinase C‐ and lysosome‐dependent mechanism, reducing abundance at the surface of mesenteric artery myocytes.

The Ang II‐induced decrease in cell surface KV1.5 channels reduces whole‐cell KV1.5 currents and attenuates KV1.5 function in pressurized arteries.

We describe a mechanism by which Ang II stimulates protein kinase C‐dependent KV1.5 channel degradation, reducing the abundance of functional channels at the myocyte surface.

Smooth muscle cells (myocytes) of resistance‐size arteries express several different voltage‐dependent K+ (KV) channels, including KV1.5 and KV2.1, which regulate contractility. Myocyte KV currents are inhibited by vasoconstrictors, including angiotensin II (Ang II), but the mechanisms involved are unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Ang II inhibits KV currents by reducing the plasma membrane abundance of KV channels in myocytes. Angiotensin II (applied for 2 h) reduced surface and total KV1.5 protein in rat mesenteric arteries. In contrast, Ang II did not alter total or surface KV2.1, or KV1.5 or KV2.1 cellular distribution, measured as the percentage of total protein at the surface. Bisindolylmaleimide (BIM; a protein kinase C blocker), a protein kinase C inhibitory peptide or bafilomycin A (a lysosomal degradation inhibitor) each blocked the Ang II‐induced decrease in total and surface KV1.5. Immunofluorescence also suggested that Ang II reduced surface KV1.5 protein in isolated myocytes; an effect inhibited by BIM. Arteries were exposed to Ang II or Ang II plus BIM (for 2 h), after which these agents were removed and contractility measurements performed or myocytes isolated for patch‐clamp electrophysiology. Angiotensin II reduced both whole‐cell KV currents and currents inhibited by Psora‐4, a KV1.5 channel blocker. Angiotensin II also reduced vasoconstriction stimulated by Psora‐4 or 4‐aminopyridine, another KV channel inhibitor. These data indicate that Ang II activates protein kinase C, which stimulates KV1.5 channel degradation, leading to a decrease in surface KV1.5, a reduction in whole‐cell KV1.5 currents and a loss of functional KV1.5 channels in myocytes of pressurized arteries.
How useful is ARFI elastography for predicting the significant fibrosis and compensated liver cirrhosis?
Authors: Ozturker Coskun , Karagoz Ergenekon , Mutlu Hakan
Published: December 2016

.
The big misunderstanding in rheumatology: Ultrasound is just equipment it cannot replace a doctor!
Authors: Filippou Georgios , Iagnocco Annamaria
Published: December 2016

.
Cesarean scar pregnancy: role of serial transabdominal ultrasonography in the diagnosis and treatment response following dilation and curettage.
Authors: Acar Turker , Sahin Ali Cankat , Semiz İsmail , Gulac Bekir
Published: December 2016

.
How useful are ARFI elastography cut-off values proposed by meta-analysis for predicting the significant fibrosis and compensated liver cirrhosis?
Authors: Bota Simona , Sporea Ioan , Sirli Roxana , Popescu Alina , Gradinaru-Tașcău Oana
Published: December 2016

Aim: To evaluate how often do we “miss” chronic hepatitis C patients with at least significant fibrosis (F≥2) and those with compensated cirrhosis,  by using Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) elastography cut-off values proposed by meta-analysis. Material and methods: Our study included 132 patients with chronic hepatitis C, evaluated by means of ARFI and liver biopsy (LB), in the same session. Reliable measurements were defined as: median value of 10 liver stiffness (LS) measurements with a success rate≥60% and an interquartile range interval<30%. For predicting F≥2 and F=4 we used the LS cut-offs proposed in the last published meta-analysis: 1.35 m/s and 1.87 m/s, respectively. Results:  Reliable LS measurements by means of ARFI were obtained in 117 patients (87.9%). In our study, 58 patients (49.6%) had LS values <1.35 m/s; from these 75.8% had F≥2 in LB. From the 59 patients (50.4%) with LS values≥1.35 m/s, only 6.8% had F0 or F1 in LB.  Also, in our study, 88 patients (75.3%) had LS values <1.87 m/s; from these only 2.2 % had F4 in LB. From the 29 patients (24.7%) with LS values≥1.87 m/s, 41.3% had F4 in LB. Both for prediction of at least significant fibrosis and liver cirrhosis, higher aminotransferases levels were associated with wrongly classified patients, in univariate and multivariate analysis. Conclusions: ARFI elastography had a very good positive predictive value (93.2%) for predicting the presence of significant fibrosis and excellent negative predictive value (97.8%) for excluding the presence of compensated liver cirrhosis.
Wnt couples the cell cycle to the circadian cycle
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: December 2016

Wnt-releasing Paneth cells synchronize the division of intestinal stem cells and progenitor cells with the daily circadian cycle.
Cephem Potentiation by Inactivation of Nonessential Genes Involved in Cell Wall Biogenesis of β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli
Authors: Baker Kristin R. , Sigurðardóttir Helga Høeg , Jana Bimal , Guardabassi Luca
Published: December 2016

Reversal of antimicrobial resistance is an appealing and largely unexplored strategy in drug discovery. The objective of this study was to identify potential targets for “helper” drugs reversing cephem resistance in
Escherichia coli
strains producing β-lactamases. A CMY-2-encoding plasmid was transferred by conjugation to seven isogenic deletion mutants exhibiting cephem hypersusceptibility. The effect of each mutation was evaluated by comparing the MICs in the wild type and the mutant harboring the same plasmid. Mutation of two genes encoding proteins involved in cell wall biosynthesis,
dapF
and
mrcB
, restored susceptibility to cefoxitin (FOX) and reduced the MICs of cefotaxime and ceftazidime, respectively, from the resistant to the intermediate category according to clinical breakpoints. The same mutants harboring a CTX-M-1-encoding plasmid fell into the intermediate or susceptible category for all three drugs. Individual deletion of
dapF
and
mrcB
in a clinical isolate of CTX-M-15-producing
E. coli
sequence type 131 (ST131) resulted in partial reversal of ceftazidime and cefepime resistance but did not reduce MICs below susceptibility breakpoints. Growth curve analysis indicated no fitness cost in a Δ
mrcB
mutant, whereas a Δ
dapF
mutant had a 3-fold longer lag phase than the wild type, suggesting that drugs targeting DapF may display antimicrobial activity, in addition to synergizing with selected cephems. DapF appeared to be a potential FOX helper drug target candidate, since
dapF
inactivation resulted in synergistic potentiation of FOX in the genetic backgrounds tested. The study showed that individual inactivation of two nonessential genes involved in cell wall biogenesis potentiates cephem activity according to drug- and strain-specific patterns.
Fungal CYP51 Inhibitors VT-1161 and VT-1129 Exhibit Strong
In Vitro
Activity against Candida glabrata and C. krusei Isolates Clinically Resistant to Azole and Echinocandin Antifungal Compounds
Authors: Schell W. A. , Jones A. M. , Garvey E. P. , Hoekstra W. J. , Schotzinger R. J. , Alexander B. D.
Published: December 2016

The
in vitro
activities of fungal CYP51 inhibitors VT-1161 and VT-1129 were determined for
Candida glabrata
(
n
= 34) and
C. krusei
(
n
= 50).
C. glabrata
isolates were screened for FKS gene mutations. All isolates were resistant clinically and/or
in vitro
to at least one standard antifungal compound. VT-1161 and VT-1129 MICs for all isolates were at least 5-fold below achievable human plasma levels for VT-1161. VT-1161 and VT-1129 are promising for the treatment of resistant
C. glabrata
and
C. krusei
infections.
Chromosome-Encoded Broad-Spectrum Ambler Class A β-Lactamase RUB-1 from Serratia rubidaea
Authors: Bonnin Rémy A. , Didi Jennifer , Ergani Ayla , Lima Sandra , Naas Thierry
Published: December 2016

Whole-genome sequencing of
Serratia rubidaea
CIP 103234
T
revealed a chromosomally located Ambler class A β-lactamase gene. The gene was cloned, and the β-lactamase, RUB-1, was characterized. RUB-1 displayed 74% and 73% amino acid sequence identity with the GIL-1 and TEM-1 penicillinases, respectively, and its substrate profile was similar to that of the latter β-lactamases. Analysis by 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends revealed promoter sequences highly divergent from the
Escherichia coli
σ
70
consensus sequence. This work further illustrates the heterogeneity of β-lactamases among
Serratia
spp.
Inventory of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in France as Assessed by a Multicenter Study
Authors: Robin F. , Beyrouthy R. , Bonacorsi S. , Aissa N. , Bret L. , Brieu N. , Cattoir V. , Chapuis A. , Chardon H. , Degand N. , Doucet-Populaire F. , Dubois V. , Fortineau N. , Grillon A. , Lanotte P. , Leyssene D. , Patry I. , Podglajen I. , Recule C. , Ros A. , Colomb-Cotinat M. , Ponties V. , Ploy M. C. , Bonnet R.
Published: December 2016

The objective of this study was to perform an inventory of the extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
isolates responsible for infections in French hospitals and to assess the mechanisms associated with ESBL diffusion. A total of 200 nonredundant ESBL-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
strains isolated from clinical samples were collected during a multicenter study performed in 18 representative French hospitals. Antibiotic resistance genes were identified by PCR and sequencing experiments. The clonal relatedness between isolates was investigated by the use of the DiversiLab system. ESBL-encoding plasmids were compared by PCR-based replicon typing and plasmid multilocus sequence typing. CTX-M-15, CTX-M-1, CTX-M-14, and SHV-12 were the most prevalent ESBLs (8% to 46.5%). The three CTX-M-type EBSLs were significantly observed in
Escherichia coli
(37.1%, 24.2%, and 21.8%, respectively), and CTX-M-15 was the predominant ESBL in
Klebsiella pneumoniae
(81.1%). SHV-12 was associated with ESBL-encoding
Enterobacter cloacae
strains (37.9%).
qnrB
,
aac(6
′
)-Ib-cr
, and
aac(3)-II
genes were the main plasmid-mediated resistance genes, with prevalences ranging between 19.5% and 45% according to the ESBL results. Molecular typing did not identify wide clonal diffusion. Plasmid analysis suggested the diffusion of low numbers of ESBL-encoding plasmids, especially in
K. pneumoniae
and
E. cloacae
. However, the ESBL-encoding genes were observed in different plasmid replicons according to the bacterial species. The prevalences of ESBL subtypes differ according to the
Enterobacteriaceae
species. Plasmid spread is a key determinant of this epidemiology, and the link observed between the ESBL-encoding plasmids and the bacterial host explains the differences observed in the
Enterobacteriaceae
species.
Synergistic Interactions between Hepatitis B Virus RNase H Antagonists and Other Inhibitors
Authors: Lomonosova Elena , Zlotnick Adam , Tavis John E.
Published: December 2016

Combination therapies are standard for management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections; however, no such therapies are established for human hepatitis B virus (HBV). Recently, we identified several promising inhibitors of HBV RNase H (here simply RNase H) activity that have significant activity against viral replication
in vitro
. Here, we investigated the
in vitro
antiviral efficacy of combinations of two RNase H inhibitors with the current anti-HBV drug nucleoside analog lamivudine, with HAP12, an experimental core protein allosteric modulator, and with each other. Anti-HBV activities of the compounds were tested in a HepG2-derived cell line by monitoring intracellular core particle DNA levels, and cytotoxicity was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay. The antiviral efficiencies of the drug combinations were evaluated using the median-effect equation derived from the mass-action law principle and combination index theorem of Chou and Talalay. We found that combinations of two RNase H inhibitors from different chemical classes were synergistic with lamivudine against HBV DNA synthesis. Significant synergism was also observed for the combination of the two RNase H inhibitors. Combinations of RNase H inhibitors with HAP12 had additive antiviral effects. Enhanced cytotoxicity was not observed in the combination experiments. Because of these synergistic and additive effects, the antiviral activity of combinations of RNase H inhibitors with drugs that act by two different mechanisms and with each other can be achieved by administering the compounds in combination at doses below the respective single drug doses.
The Master Regulators of the Fla1 and Fla2 Flagella of Rhodobacter sphaeroides Control the Expression of Their Cognate CheY Proteins
Authors: Hernandez-Valle José , Domenzain Clelia , de la Mora Javier , Poggio Sebastian , Dreyfus Georges , Camarena Laura
Published: December 2016

Rhodobacter sphaeroides
is an alphaproteobacterium that has two complete sets of flagellar genes. The
fla1
set was acquired by horizontal transfer from an ancestral gammaproteobacterium and is the only set of flagellar genes that is expressed during growth under standard laboratory conditions. The products of these genes assemble a single, subpolar flagellum. In the absence of the Fla1 flagellum, a gain-of-function mutation in the histidine kinase CckA turns on the expression of the
fla2
flagellar genes through the response regulator CtrA. The rotation of the Fla1 and Fla2 flagella is controlled by different sets of chemotaxis proteins. Here, we show that the expression of the chemotaxis proteins that control Fla2, along with the expression of the
fla2
genes, is coordinated by CtrA, whereas the expression of the chemotaxis genes that control Fla1 is mediated by the master regulators of the Fla1 system. The coordinated expression of the chemosensory proteins with their cognate flagellar genes highlights the relevance of integrating the expression of the horizontally acquired
fla1
genes with a chemosensory system independently of the regulatory proteins responsible for the expression of
fla2
and its cognate chemosensory system.

IMPORTANCE
Gene acquisition via horizontal transfer represents a challenge to the recipient organism to adjust its metabolic and genetic networks to incorporate the new material in a way that represents an adaptive advantage. In the case of
Rhodobacter sphaeroides
, a complete set of flagellar genes was acquired and successfully coordinated with the native flagellar system. Here we show that the expression of the chemosensory proteins that control flagellar rotation is dependent on the master regulators of their corresponding flagellar system, minimizing the use of transcription factors required to express the native and horizontally acquired genes along with their chemotaxis proteins.
Large subglacial meltwater features in the central Barents Sea
Authors: Bjarnadóttir L.R. , Winsborrow M.C.M. , Andreassen K.
Published: December 2016

During the last glacial period large parts of the Arctic, including the Barents Sea, north of Norway and Russia, were covered by ice sheets. Despite several studies indicating that melting occurred beneath much of the Barents Sea ice sheet, very few meltwater-related landforms have been identified. We document ∼200 seafloor valleys in the central Barents Sea and interpret them to be tunnel valleys formed by meltwater erosion beneath an ice sheet. This is the first account of widespread networks of tunnel valleys in the Barents Sea, and confirms previous predictions that large parts of the ice sheet were warm based. The tunnel valleys are interpreted to be formed through a combination of steady-state drainage and outburst floods close to the ice margin, as a result of increased melting within a period of rapid climate warming during late deglaciation. This is the first study documenting widespread tunnel valley formation at the northern reaches of a Northern Hemisphere paleo–ice sheet, during advanced deglaciation and beneath a much reduced ice sheet. This indicates that suitable conditions for tunnel valley formation may have occurred more widely than previously reported, and emphasizes the need to properly incorporate hydrological processes in current efforts to model ice sheet response to climate warming. This study provides valuable empirical data, to which modeling results can be compared.
Regional variability in the frequency and magnitude of large explosive volcanic eruptions
Authors: Sheldrake Tom , Caricchi Luca
Published: December 2016

Quantifying the frequency at which volcanic eruptions of different size occurs is important for hazard assessment. Volcanic records can be used to estimate the recurrence rate of large-magnitude eruptions (magnitude ≥4), but recording biases that impact data completeness complicate analysis. To overcome these biases, we conceptualize the volcanic record as a series of individual and unique time series associated by a common behavior. Thus, we approach issues of completeness on a volcano-by-volcano basis and use a hierarchical Bayesian approach to characterize the common frequency-magnitude (f-M) behavior for different groups of volcanoes. We identify variations in the f-M relationship between different volcano types and between different volcanic arcs. By accounting for systematic under-recording in the volcanic record, we also calculate the global recurrence rates for large-magnitude eruptions during the Holocene, which are similar to previous estimates. However, higher recurrence rates for smaller-magnitude events are observed, which is a result of our adjustments for data completeness. Quantifying how the f-M relationship varies between different groups of volcanoes provides an opportunity to understand how the tectonic setting influences f-M behavior, which is important to quantify long-term regional volcanic hazard.
A probabilistic analysis of meteorically altered δ13C chemostratigraphy from late Paleozoic ice age carbonate platforms
Authors: Dyer Blake , Higgins John A. , Maloof Adam C.
Published: December 2016

The stratigraphic expression of meteoric diagenesis in carbonates is a glimpse into the weathering, fluid transport, and biological productivity of the ancient near-surface terrestrial environment. To infer this environmental information, we use a probabilistic approach to merge an isotope-based reactive transport model with chemostratigraphic data from carbonates that were subaerially exposed during an expansion of the late Paleozoic ice age in the middle Carboniferous. The rate of carbon flowing through the carbonate platform relative to the rate of carbon reacting between mineral and fluid phases controls the length scale, curvature, and magnitude of the diagenetic carbon isotope profiles. The ratio of advection to reaction is determined for seven stratigraphic sections, and the advection rate is used to estimate the minimum carbonate weathering associated with each profile. These carbonate weathering rates extrapolated over the expansive shallow carbonate platforms of the middle Carboniferous indicate that glacioeustatic fall may have caused a 20%–50% increase in the dissolved CaCO3 flux to the ocean. The complex feedbacks among carbonate weathering and accumulation, atmospheric pCO2, glacioeustasy, and passive margin subsidence may have played an unexplored role in the glacial-interglacial climate dynamics of the late Paleozoic ice age.
Early Cenozoic drainage reorganization of the United States Western Interior–Gulf of Mexico sediment routing system
Authors: Sharman Glenn R. , Covault Jacob A. , Stockli Daniel F. , Wroblewski Anton F.-J. , Bush Meredith A.
Published: December 2016

Continental-scale drainages host the world’s largest rivers and offshore sediment accumulations, many of which contain significant petroleum reserves. Rate of sediment supply in these settings may be a signal of external controls (e.g., tectonics) on landscape evolution, yet deciphering these controls remains a major challenge in interpreting the ancient stratigraphic record. Integration of new and published detrital zircon U-Pb ages from the United States Rocky Mountain region and Gulf of Mexico (GOM) sedimentary basin demonstrates profound changes in the U.S. continental drainage divide that controlled the rate of sediment delivery to the northern GOM during Paleocene–Eocene time. Sedimentation rate increased dramatically during deposition of the lower Wilcox Group, reaching approximately three times the Cenozoic average, accompanied by pronounced shoreline regression and delivery of a large volume of sand to the basin floor. We hypothesize that this increase in sediment delivery to the GOM resulted from drainage capture of a significant portion of the Sevier-Laramide structural province (∼900,000 km2) that included the headwaters of the California and Idaho Rivers. Capture of the California River drainage may have occurred in the vicinity of the Hanna Basin of eastern Wyoming that previously emptied northward into a shallow seaway, but was subsequently diverted southward to the Rockdale delta, which accumulated within the Houston embayment during the time of deposition of the lower Wilcox Group. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages from Wilcox samples within the Rockdale delta show a remarkable similarity with contemporaneous Laramide synorogenic units, including enrichment in detritus derived from the Cordilleran arc and basement terranes of western North America relative to older and younger units in the Houston embayment. A subsequent order of magnitude decline in sedimentation rate to the GOM can be partly attributed to well-documented drainage closure (∼800,000 km2) that accompanied lake formation in interior Laramide basins (ca. 53–51.8 Ma). Our results demonstrate that tectonically induced drainage migration in the high-relief segments of continental-scale drainages can have a pronounced effect on the rate of sediment transfer to continental margins.
Hyponatraemia-induced rhabdomyolysis complicated by anuric acute kidney injury: a renal replacement conundrum
Authors: Secombe Paul , Milne Chris
Published: December 2016

Hyponatraemia-induced rhabdomyolysis is a rare, but reported phenomenon, particularly in patients with chronic schizophrenia on depot antipsychotics prone to psychogenic polydipsia. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reported cases of hyponatraemia-induced rhabdomyolysis complicated by oligo-anuric acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). The initiation of CRRT is complicated in severe hyponatraemia, predominantly due to the need to avoid rapid changes in tonicity associated with rapid changes in sodium. We report a case of severe hyponatraemia (104 mmol/L) complicated by oligo-anuric rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI and our management of the renal prescription.
Experimental study on swelling behaviour and microstructure changes of natural stiff Teguline clays upon wetting
Authors: Zeng Ling-Ling , Cui Yu-Jun , Conil Nathalie , Zghondi Jad , Armand Gilles , Talandier Jean
Published: December 2016

This paper addresses the microstructure change induced by swelling for natural stiff Teguline clays. The predominant clay mineral measured by X-ray diffractometry was identified to be illite and no swelling clay minerals were found. Significant swelling occurs upon wetting, illustrating the process of suction release from a nearly fully saturated condition. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscopy were used to identify the change in microstructure with swelling during wetting. It is found that the soil swelling mainly leads to an increase of macropores (0.15–350 μm), and a slight decrease of micropores (0.006–0.15 μm) and inaccessible pores (<0.006 μm and >350 μm). Furthermore, swelling was found to occur in the direction perpendicular to the bedding plane, indicating an anisotropic swelling behaviour. The creation and development of cracks during wetting were also investigated. It appears that most cracks caused by swelling have the size of macropores (0.15–350 μm) identified by the MIP test. These findings call enough attention to the significant change in microstructure by wetting-induced swelling that can strongly influence the thermohydromechanical properties of stiff clays.
Writing reaction mechanisms: the use of site-specific curly arrows as an aid to comprehension
Authors: Williams Richard Vaughan , Shaffer Alan A.
Published: December 2016

Depicting the mechanism, the step-by-step path followed by a reaction, has evolved to also indicate the movement of electrons during each step through the use of curly arrows. The use of conventional curly arrows, as introduced by Robinson in the 1920s, can be ambiguous with regard to regiochemistry. Site-specific curly arrows, a refinement attributed to Woodward, remove this ambiguity. More importantly, our students indicate that they gain greater understanding and a clearer picture of the concepts under discussion through the use of site-specific arrows.
REAL EXCHANGE RATE RETURNS AND REAL STOCK PRICE RETURNS IN THE STOCK MARKET OF MALAYSIA
Authors: WONG HOCK TSEN
Published: December 2016

This study examines the relationships between real exchange rate returns and real stock price returns in the stock market of Malaysia. The Kwiatkowski, Phillips, Schmidt and Shin (KPSS) and Dickey and Fuller (DF) unit root test statistics show that all the variables examined are found to be stationary in the first differences. The constant conditional correlation (CCC)-multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (MGARCH) model shows that real exchange rate return of Malaysian ringgit against the United States dollar (RM/USD) and real stock price return of Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) are found to be negative and significantly correlated. However, there is insignificant correlation between real exchange rate return of Malaysian ringgit against Japanese Yen (RM/¥) and real stock price return of KLCI. Moreover, the CCC-MGARCH models show that real exchange rate returns and real stock price returns of some stocks are found to be significantly correlated. The KPSS unit root test statistics show that the time invariant conditional variances of real exchange rate returns and real stock price returns are mostly found to be stationary in the levels. There is no evidence of Granger causality between the time invariant conditional variances of real exchange rate returns and real stock price return of KLCI but some evidence of Granger causality between the time invariant conditional variances of real exchange rate returns and real stock price returns. There is a link between the exchange rate market and the stock market in Malaysia but not every real stock price return is significantly linked with real exchange rate return.
Effects of static noise on the dynamics of quantum correlations for a system of three qubits
Authors: Lionel Tenemeza Kenfack , Martin Tchoffo , Collince Fouokeng Georges , Fai Lukong Cornelius
Published: December 2016

Correlations in open quantum systems exhibit peculiar phenomena under the effect of various sources of noise. Here, we investigate the dynamics of entanglement and quantum discord (QD) for three noninteracting qubits coupled with a classical environmental static noise characterized by an external random field. Two initial entangled states of the system are examined, namely, the GHZ- and [Formula: see text]-type states. The system-environment interaction is here analyzed in three different configurations, namely, independent, mixed and common environments. We find that the dynamics of quantum correlations are strongly affected by the type of system-environment interaction and the purity of the initial entangled state. Indeed, depending on the type of interaction and the value of the purity of the initial state, peculiar phenomena such as sudden death, revivals and long-time survival of quantum correlations are observed. On the other hand, our results clearly show that quantum correlations initially present in the [Formula: see text]-type states are less robust than those of the GHZ-type states. Furthermore, we find that the long-time survival of entanglement can be detected by means of the suitable entanglement witnesses.
Electronic tunneling through a potential barrier on the surface of a topological insulator
Authors: Zhou Benliang , Zhou Benhu , Zhou Guanghui
Published: December 2016

We investigate the tunneling transport for electrons on the surface of a topological insulator (TI) through an electrostatic potential barrier. By using the Dirac equation with the continuity conditions for all segments of wave functions at the interfaces between regions inside and outside the barrier, we calculate analytically the transmission probability and conductance for the system. It is demonstrated that, the Klein paradox can also been observed in the system same as in graphene system. Interestingly, the conductance reaches the minimum value when the incident electron energy is equal to the barrier strength. Moreover, with increasing barrier width, the conductance turns up some tunneling oscillation peaks, and larger barrier strength can cause lower conductance, shorter period but larger oscillation amplitude. The oscillation amplitude decreases as the barrier width increases, which is similar as that of the system consisting of the compressive uniaxial strain applied on a TI, but somewhat different from that of graphene system where the oscillation amplitude is a constant. The findings here imply that an electrostatic barrier can greatly influence the electron tunneling transport of the system, and may provide a new way to realize directional filtering of electrons.
Corrected black hole thermodynamics in Damour–Ruffini’s method with generalized uncertainty principle
Authors: Zhou Shiwei , Chen Ge-Rui
Published: December 2016

Recently, some approaches to quantum gravity indicate that a minimal measurable length [Formula: see text] should be considered, a direct implication of the minimal measurable length is the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP). Taking the effect of GUP into account, Hawking radiation of massless scalar particles from a Schwarzschild black hole is investigated by the use of Damour–Ruffini’s method. The original Klein–Gordon equation is modified. It is obtained that the corrected Hawking temperature is related to the energy of emitting particles. Some discussions appear in the last section.
Detecting ultralight axion dark matter wind with laser interferometers
Authors: Aoki Arata , Soda Jiro
Published: December 2016

The ultralight axion with mass around [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]eV is known as a candidate of dark matter. A peculiar feature of the ultralight axion is oscillating pressure in time, which produces oscillation of gravitational potentials. Since the solar system moves through the dark matter halo at the velocity of about [Formula: see text], there exists axion wind, which looks like scalar gravitational waves for us. Hence, there is a chance to detect ultralight axion dark matter with a wide mass range by using laser interferometer detectors. We calculate the detector signal induced by the oscillating pressure of the ultralight axion field, which would be detected by future laser interferometer experiments. We also argue that the detector signal can be enhanced due to the resonance in modified gravity theory explaining the dark energy.
Morphology-dependent space charge polarization and dielectric relaxation of CdO nanomorphotypes
Authors: Thomas Paulose , Abraham K. E.
Published: December 2016

A versatile approach signifying the morphology-dependent dielectric polarization and relaxation mechanisms of cadmium oxide (CdO) nanosphere, nanoflakes and nanoparallelepiped morphotypes as a function of frequency and temperature is presented. Variation of dielectric property is observed due to the changes of space charge/interfacial polarization resulting from the variations of surface to volume ratio of nanomorphology. Accordingly, colossal dielectric constant value has been observed in CdO nanosphere having larger surface to volume ratio. The order of dielectric constant (dc) values observed for the present nanomorphologies is: dc of sphere [Formula: see text] dc of flakes [Formula: see text] dc of parallelepiped resembles the order of surface to volume ratios of the present morphologies respectively. The experimental data of complex impedance values are numerically fitted using theoretical models which provide the information of role of grain resistance on dielectric polarization and Cole–Cole type mechanism of dielectric relaxation process. The activation energies for electron transport are found to be 0.087[Formula: see text]eV for spheres, 0.074[Formula: see text]eV for flakes and 0.067 for parallelepiped nanomorphotypes of CdO. The dielectric and impedance spectroscopic analysis of the present material opens up wide scope for morphology-dependent tuning of nanomaterials for electrical applications.
Non-enumerative Generation of Path Delay Distributions and Its Application to Critical Path Selection
Authors: Somashekar Ahish Mysore , Tragoudas Spyros , Jayabharathi Rathish , Gangadhar Sreenivas
Published: December 2016

A Monte Carlo-based approach is proposed capable of identifying in a non-enumerative and scalable manner the distributions that describe the delay of every path in a combinational circuit. Furthermore, a scalable approach to select critical paths from a potentially exponential number of path candidates is presented. Paths and their delay distributions are stored in Zero Suppressed Binary Decision Diagrams. Experimental results on some of the largest ISCAS-89 and ITC-99 benchmarks shows that the proposed method is highly scalable and effective.
Learning Informative Priors from Heterogeneous Domains to Improve Recommendation in Cold-Start User Domains
Authors: Hu Liang , Cao Longbing , Cao Jian , Gu Zhiping , Xu Guandong , Yang Dingyu
Published: December 2016

In the real-world environment, users have sufficient experience in their focused domains but lack experience in other domains. Recommender systems are very helpful for recommending potentially desirable items to users in unfamiliar domains, and cross-domain collaborative filtering is therefore an important emerging research topic. However, it is inevitable that the cold-start issue will be encountered in unfamiliar domains due to the lack of feedback data. The Bayesian approach shows that priors play an important role when there are insufficient data, which implies that recommendation performance can be significantly improved in cold-start domains if informative priors can be provided. Based on this idea, we propose a Weighted Irregular Tensor Factorization (WITF) model to leverage multi-domain feedback data across all users to learn the cross-domain priors w.r.t. both users and items. The features learned from WITF serve as the informative priors on the latent factors of users and items in terms of weighted matrix factorization models. Moreover, WITF is a unified framework for dealing with both explicit feedback and implicit feedback. To prove the effectiveness of our approach, we studied three typical real-world cases in which a collection of empirical evaluations were conducted on real-world datasets to compare the performance of our model and other state-of-the-art approaches. The results show the superiority of our model over comparison models.
Algorithm 970
Authors: Sýs Marek , Říha Zdeněk , Matyáš Vashek
Published: December 2016

The NIST Statistical Test Suite (NIST STS) is one of the most popular tools for the analysis of randomness. This test battery is widely used, but its implementation is quite inefficient. A complete randomness analysis using the NIST STS can take hours on a standard computer when the tested data volume is on the order of GB. We improved the most time-consuming test (Linear Complexity) from the previous most efficient implementation of the NIST STS. We also optimized other tests and achieved an overall speedup of 50.6 × compared with the reference implementation. This means that 20MB of data can be tested within a minute using our new optimized version of the NIST STS. To speed up the Linear Complexity test, we proposed a new version of the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm that computes only the linear complexity of a sequence. This new variant does not construct a linear feedback shift register and is approximately 187 × faster than the original NIST implementation of the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm.
Inhibiting and Detecting Offline Password Cracking Using ErsatzPasswords
Authors: Gutierrez Christopher N. , Almeshekah Mohammed H. , Spafford Eugene H. , Atallah Mikhail J. , Avery Jeff
Published: December 2016

In this work, we present a simple, yet effective and practical scheme to improve the security of stored password hashes, increasing the difficulty to crack passwords and exposing cracking attempts. We utilize a hardware-dependent function (HDF), such as a physically unclonable function (PUF) or a hardware security module (HSM), at the authentication server to inhibit offline password discovery. Additionally, a deception mechanism is incorporated to alert administrators of cracking attempts. Using an HDF to generate password hashes hinders attackers from recovering the true passwords without constant access to the HDF. Our scheme can integrate with legacy systems without needing additional servers, changing the structure of the hashed password file, nor modifying client machines. When using our scheme, the structure of the hashed passwords file, e.g.,
etc/shadow
or
etc/master.passwd
, will appear no different than traditional hashed password files.
1
However, when attackers exfiltrate the hashed password file and attempt to crack it, the passwords they will receive are ErsatzPasswords—“fake passwords.”

The ErsatzPasswords scheme is flexible by design, enabling it to be integrated into existing authentication systems without changes to user experience. The proposed scheme is integrated into the pam_unix module as well as two client/server authentication schemes: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) authentication and the Pythia pseudorandom function (PRF) Service [Everspaugh et al. 2015]. The core library to support ErsatzPasswords written in C and Python consists of 255 and 103 lines of code, respectively. The integration of ErsatzPasswords into each explored authentication system required less than 100 lines of additional code. Experimental evaluation of ErsatzPasswords shows an increase in authentication latency on the order of 100ms, which maybe acceptable for real world systems. We also describe a framework for implementing ErsatzPasswords using a Trusted Platform Module (TPM).
Visual Menu Techniques
Authors: Bailly Gilles , Lecolinet Eric , Nigay Laurence
Published: December 2016

Menus are used for exploring and selecting commands in interactive applications. They are widespread in current systems and used by a large variety of users. As a consequence, they have motivated many studies in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Facing the large variety of menus, it is difficult to have a clear understanding of the design possibilities and to ascertain their similarities and differences. In this article, we address a main challenge of menu design: the need to characterize the design space of menus. To do this, we propose a taxonomy of menu properties that structures existing work on visual menus. As properties have an impact on the performance of the menu, we start by refining performance through a list of quality criteria and by reviewing existing analytical and empirical methods for quality evaluation. This taxonomy of menu properties is a step toward the elaboration of advanced predictive models of menu performance and the optimization of menus. A key point of this work is to focus both on menus and on the properties of menus, and then enable a fine-grained analysis in terms of performance.