bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Soils Around Lead (Pb)-Zinc (Zn) Mining Areas in Enyigba, Southeastern Nigeria
Authors: Obiora Smart C. , Chukwu Anthony , Toteu Sadrack F. , Davies Theophilus C.
Published: April 2016

Mining activities have been undertaken for over 95 years in Enyigba area of southeastern Nigeria. In this area, thirty-six (36) trace metals including those that are essential for plant and animal nutrition have been analyzed from forty-nine (49) soil samples that were collected from three Pb-Zn mines. The aim of the analysis is to assess the level of contamination of the soils caused by mining activities. Potentially harmful elements which are commonly associated with Pb-Zn mines were of special interest. Such elements included Pb, Zn, As, Cd, Mn, Fe, Se, Sb, Cu and Bi. Generally, the samples analyzed showed elevated concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu and Cr when compared with concentrations documented in the international agricultural soil standards. Geo-accumulation indices of soils that occur closer to the mines indicate moderate to extreme level of contamination in Pb and moderate levels in Cd. Enrichment factor (EF) showed very high enrichment to extremely high enrichment in Pb. Cd and Zn enrichment were found to be significant and moderate respectively. Conversely, the geo-accumulation indices for soil samples located away from the mines indicate moderate to heavy contamination in Pb but had moderate to significant enrichment in Cd and moderate in Bi and Cr. In general, soil quality all around the mines were found to have deteriorated as revealed by the pollution load index. Thus the results of this study call for immediate remedial measures to be initiated. In addition, miners and local communities living around the mines need to be enlightened about the dangers of exposure to these heavy metal contaminants.
Study of Horizontal Drain Effect on Slope Stability
Authors: Mukhlisin Muhammad , Aziz Nurul Aini Binti Abd
Published: April 2016

Slope failure usually occurs when soil particles are unable to build a strong bond with each other and become loose because of the presence of water. Water pressure weakens the ties between the particles and they tend to slip. Therefore, this study focused on the use of horizontal drains to reduce water entry and control the ground water level as a method of slope stabilization. Several previous studies have shown that the use of horizontal drains to lower the water level in soil is one of the fastest and cheapest slope stabilization methods. The main objective of this study is to analyze the effect of horizontal drains on slope stability. Information on slope condition during the landslides which happened at Precinct 9, Putrajaya, Malaysia was used for analytical simulation. Seep/W and Slope/W analyses were carried out with GeoStudio version 2007 software. Slopes with and without horizontal drains were then compared in terms of groundwater level and factor of safety (FOS) values. Scenarios were created for seven types of soil namely: residual, clay, silt, loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, and silt clay loam for a case wise analysis. The effect of daily steady rainfall and real-condition rainfall was studied. These cases were studied to find the effectiveness of horizontal drains as a slope stabilization tool. The results revealed that when a drain was installed on a slope, the groundwater level dropped immediately and the safety factor of the slope increased. Sandy loam (sL) soil was identified as the best candidate for a horizontal drain. Its highly saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks facilitated groundwater drain through the horizontal drain effectively. Silt clay loam (scL) soil was identified as the least effective candidate.
Pitfalls in Radiographic Interpretation of Emphysema Patients
Authors: Baik Jun Hyun , Ko Jeong Min , Park Hyun Jin
Published: April 2016

Emphysema commonly accompanies various complications such as pneumonia. Sometimes, these comorbidities look so strange on images, because destroyed airspaces could change the usual disease progression. So, we demonstrated various cases of common comorbidities with unusual radiographic findings in emphysema patients. Awareness of various findings of emphysema with commonly coexistent diseases may aid in the proper diagnosis and management of emphysema patients.
High-Resolution Computed Tomography Examinations for Chronic Suppurative Lung Disease in Early Childhood: Radiation Exposure and Image Quality Evaluations with Iterative Reconstruction Algorithm Use
Authors: Smarda Magdalini , Efstathopoulos Efstathios , Mazioti Argyro , Kordolaimi Sofia , Ploussi Agapi , Priftis Konstantinos , Kelekis Nikolaos , Alexopoulou Efthymia
Published: April 2016

Purpose

High radiosensitivity of children undergoing repetitive computed tomography examinations necessitates the use of iterative reconstruction algorithms in order to achieve a significant radiation dose reduction. The goal of this study is to compare the iDose iterative reconstruction algorithm with filtered backprojection in terms of radiation exposure and image quality in 33 chest high-resolution computed tomography examinations performed in young children with chronic bronchitis.

Methods

Fourteen patients were scanned using the filtered backprojection protocol while 19 patients using the iDose protocol and reduced milliampere-seconds, both on a 64-detector row computed tomography scanner. The iDose group images were reconstructed with different iDose levels (2, 4, and 6). Radiation exposure quantities were estimated, while subjective and objective image qualities were evaluated. Unpaired t tests were used for data statistical analysis.

Results

The iDose application allowed significant effective dose reduction (about 80%). Subjective image quality evaluation showed satisfactory results even with iDose level 2, whereas it approached excellent image with iDose level 6. Subjective image noise was comparable between the 2 groups with the use of iDose level 4, while objective noise was comparable between filtered backprojection and iterative reconstruction level 6 images.

Conclusions

The iDose algorithm use in pediatric chest high-resolution computed tomography reduces radiation exposure without compromising image quality. Further evaluation with iterative reconstruction algorithms is needed in order to establish high-resolution computed tomography as the gold standard low-dose method for children suffering from chronic lung diseases.
Therapeutic itinerary of colorectal cancer patients treated in the state of Rio Grande do Sul
Authors: Foletto Eliara Fernanda , Jackisch Sabine Elisa , Dotto Marcelo Luis , Severo Cátia , Pappen Emelin , de Moura Valim Andreia Rosane , Renner Jane Dagmar Pollo , Possuelo Lia Gonçalves
Published: April 2016

Objectives The objective of the study was to evaluate the therapeutic itinerary of patients treated in a specialized center, including its trajectory in seeking treatment and their clinical and epidemiological characteristics.

Methods This is a cross-sectional prospective descriptive study; patients with colorectal cancer aged over 18 years and who signed the consent form were included in the analysis. Tumor characteristics, such as staging and tumor features; epidemiological characteristics such as age, gender, profession and itinerary in the form of the number of clinical visits needed to obtain the diagnosis; the main symptoms; and mean time between diagnosis and onset of treatment were evaluated.

Results 34% of patients initially sought primary care (first level of care in the public health system) and 50% were diagnosed in secondary care (second level of care in the public health system); the mean number of visits until obtaining a diagnosis was 2.5 times; and 52% of patients received palliative therapy and 40% had a stage IV diagnosis.

Conclusions The mean time between the diagnosis and the onset of treatment is in line with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health of Brazil. However, it was found that the patients are unaware of the symptoms of the disease, since the mean time between the onset of symptoms until the decision to visit the doctor was 177 days – which may have been a determining factor for a diagnosis in an advanced stage of disease.
Work-Related Unintentional Injuries Associated With Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey
Authors: Marshall Elizabeth G. , Lu Shou-En , Shi Zhengyang , Swerdel Joel , Borjan Marija , Lumia Margaret E.
Published: April 2016

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the occurrence of work-related injuries after Hurricane Sandy potentially related to response and recovery.

Methods

Emergency and hospital discharges (patients aged 18-65 years) with a diagnosis of unintentional injury were obtained from the New Jersey Department of Health. Work-related injuries were identified as those with a workers’ compensation payer or other work-related codes. Counties were categorized as high-, medium-, or low-impact areas. Poisson regression analysis was used to compare the rate of work-related injury the year following Sandy landfall with the 3 previous years.

Results

Total work-related injuries declined the week immediately after Sandy (rate ratio [RR]: 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-1.05) and no overall increase was found in the year after Hurricane Sandy. However, high-impact counties showed an elevated risk of work-related injuries in the first and third quarters after Hurricane Sandy among men, especially for blacks and Hispanics. The greatest excesses occurred in the third quarter after the storm, May to July, for falls (RR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.08-1.57), cut/pierce injuries (RR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.09-1.40), struck-by injuries (RR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.02-1.34), and overexertion (RR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.10-1.44).

Conclusions

Hospital data suggested an increase in injuries associated with rebuilding and recovery rather than with initial response. Future efforts aimed at prevention should evaluate the mechanisms and circumstances of injury in more detail. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:394–404)
On low-frequency variability of the midlatitude ocean gyres
Authors: Shevchenko I. V. , Berloff P. S. , Guerrero-López D. , Roman J. E.
Published: April 2016

This paper studies the large-scale low-frequency variability of the wind-driven midlatitude ocean gyres and their western boundary currents, such as the Gulf Stream or Kuroshio, simulated with the eddy-resolving quasi-geostrophic model. We applied empirical orthogonal functions analysis to turbulent flow solutions and statistically extracted robust and significant large-scale decadal variability modes concentrated around the eastward jet extension of the western boundary currents. In order to interpret these statistical modes dynamically, we linearized the governing quasi-geostrophic equations around the time-mean circulation and solved for the corresponding full set of linear eigenmodes with their eigenfrequencies. We then projected the extracted decadal variability on the eigenmodes and found that this variability is a multimodal coherent pattern phenomenon rather than a single mode or a combination of several modes as in the flow regimes preceding developed turbulence.
Ghosts of Christmas past?: absence of trypanosomes in feral cats and black rats from Christmas Island and Western Australia
Authors: DYBING N. A. , JACOBSON C. , IRWIN P. , ALGAR D. , ADAMS P. J.
Published: April 2016

Trypanosomes andLeishmaniaare vector-borne parasites associated with high morbidity and mortality.Trypanosoma lewisi, putatively introduced with black rats and fleas, has been implicated in the extinction of two native rodents on Christmas Island (CI) and native trypanosomes are hypothesized to have caused decline in Australian marsupial populations on the mainland. This study investigated the distribution and prevalence ofTrypanosomaspp. andLeishmaniaspp. in two introduced pests (cats and black rats) for three Australian locations. Molecular screening (PCR) on spleen tissue was performed on cats from CI (n= 35), Dirk Hartog Island (DHI;n= 23) and southwest Western Australia (swWA) (n= 58), and black rats from CI only (n= 46). Despite the continued presence of the intermediate and mechanical hosts of T.lewisi, there was no evidence of trypanosome orLeishmaniainfection in cats or rats from CI. Trypanosomes were not identified in cats from DHI or swWA. These findings suggestT. lewisiis no longer present on CI and endemic Trypanosoma spp. do not infect cats or rats in these locations.
Supplementation of branched-chain amino acids to a reduced-protein diet improves growth performance in piglets: involvement of increased feed intake and direct muscle growth-promoting effect
Authors: Zheng Liufeng , Wei Hongkui , Cheng Chuanshang , Xiang Quanhang , Pang Jiaman , Peng Jian
Published: April 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate whether supplementing branched-chain amino acids (AA) (BCAA) along with a reduced-protein diet increases piglet growth, and whether elevated feed intake and muscle growth-promoting effect contribute to this improvement. In Expt 1, twenty-eight weanling piglets were randomly fed one of the following four diets: a positive control (PC) diet, a reduced-protein negative control (NC) diet, an NC diet supplemented with BCAA to the same levels as in the PC diet (test 1 (T1)) and an NC diet supplemented with a 2-fold dose of BCAA in T1 diet (test 2 (T2)) for 28 d. In Expt 2, twenty-one weanling piglets were randomly assigned to NC, T1 and pair-fed T1 (P) groups. NC and T1 diets were the same as in Expt 1, whereas piglets in the P group were individually pair-fed with the NC group. In Expt 1, the NC group had reduced piglet growth and feed intake compared with the PC group, which were restored in T1 and T2 groups, but no differences were detected between T1 and T2 groups. In Expt 2, T1 and P groups showed increases in growth and mass of some muscles compared with the NC group. Increased feed intake after BCAA supplementation was associated with increased mRNA expressions of agouti-related peptide and co-express neuropeptide Y (NPY) and phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), as well as decreased mRNA expressions of melanocortin-4 receptor and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript and phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α in the hypothalamus. No differences were observed among PC, T1 and T2 groups except for higher NPY mRNA expression in the T2 group than in the PC group (Expt 1). Phosphorylation of mTOR and S6K1 in muscle was enhanced after BCAA supplementation, which was independent of change in feed intake (Expt 2). In conclusion, supplementing BCAA to reduced-protein diets increases feed intake and muscle mass, and contributes to better growth performance in piglets.
Decreased hepatic iron in response to alcohol may contribute to alcohol-induced suppression of hepcidin
Authors: Varghese Joe , James Jithu Varghese , Sagi Sreerohini , Chakraborty Subhosmito , Sukumaran Abitha , Ramakrishna Banumathi , Jacob Molly
Published: April 2016

Hepatic Fe overload has often been reported in patients with advanced alcoholic liver disease. However, it is not known clearly whether it is the effect of alcohol that is responsible for such overload. To address this lacuna, a time-course study was carried out in mice in order to determine the effect of alcohol on Fe homoeostasis. Male Swiss albino mice were pair-fed Lieber–DeCarli alcohol diet (20 % of total energy provided as alcohol) for 2, 4, 8 or 12 weeks. Expression levels of duodenal and hepatic Fe-related proteins were determined by quantitative PCR and Western blotting, as were Fe levels and parameters of oxidative stress in the liver. Alcohol induced cytochrome P4502E1 and oxidative stress in the liver. Hepatic Fe levels and ferritin protein expression dropped to significantly lower levels after 12 weeks of alcohol feeding, with no significant effects at earlier time points. This was associated, at 12 weeks, with significantly decreased liver hepcidin expression and serum hepcidin levels. Protein expressions of duodenal ferroportin (at 8 and 12 weeks) and divalent metal transporter 1 (at 8 weeks) were increased. Serum Fe levels rose progressively to significantly higher levels at 12 weeks. Histopathological examination of the liver showed mild steatosis, but no stainable Fe in mice fed alcohol for up to 12 weeks. In summary, alcohol ingestion by mice in this study affected several Fe-related parameters, but produced no hepatic Fe accumulation. On the contrary, alcohol-induced decreases in hepatic Fe levels were seen and may contribute to alcohol-induced suppression of hepcidin.
Comparison of polyphenol intakes according to distinct dietary patterns and food sources in the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort
Authors: Burkholder-Cooley Nasira , Rajaram Sujatha , Haddad Ella , Fraser Gary E. , Jaceldo-Siegl Karen
Published: April 2016

Evidence suggests a relationship between polyphenol intake and health benefits. Polyphenol intake among a large US cohort with diverse dietary practices ranging from meatless to omnivorous diets has not been previously evaluated. The primary aim of this study was to compare polyphenol intakes of several vegetarian and non-vegetarian dietary patterns and to assess phenolic intake by food source. To characterise dietary intake, a FFQ was administered to 77 441 participants of the Adventist Health Study-2. Dietary patterns were defined based on the absence of animal food consumption as vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Polyphenol intakes were calculated based on chromatography-derived polyphenol content data of foods from Phenol-Explorer, US Department of Agriculture databases and relevant literature. Results revealed a mean unadjusted total polyphenol intake of 801 (sd 356) mg/d, and the main foods contributing to polyphenol intakes were coffee, fruits and fruit juices. Total polyphenol intake differed significantly between dietary patterns, with phenolic acids from coffee contributing the greatest variation. The dominant classes and sources of dietary polyphenols differed between vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets. Flavonoid intake was the highest among pesco-vegetarians, and phenolic acid intake was the highest among non-vegetarians. In addition, coffee consumers appeared to have a different dietary profile than non-coffee consumers, including greatly reduced contribution of fruits, vegetables and legumes to total phenolic intake. Coffee drinkers were more likely to be non-vegetarians, which explained several of these observations. Further evaluating these differences may be important in identifying relationships between plant-based diets and health outcomes.
Commercial complementary food consumption is prospectively associated with added sugar intake in childhood
Authors: Foterek Kristina , Buyken Anette E. , Bolzenius Katja , Hilbig Annett , Nöthlings Ute , Alexy Ute
Published: April 2016

Given that commercial complementary food (CF) can contain high levels of added sugar, a high consumption may predispose to a preference for sweet taste later in life. This study examined cross-sectional associations between commercial CF consumption and added sugar intake in infancy as well as its prospective relation to added sugar intake in pre-school and primary-school age children. In all, 288 children of the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed Study with 3-d weighed dietary records at 0·5 and 0·75 (infancy), 3 and 4 (pre-school age) and 6 and 7 years of age (primary-school age) were included in this analysis. Individual commercial CF consumption as percentage of total commercial CF (%cCF) was averaged at 0·5 and 0·75 years. Individual total added sugar intake (g/d, energy percentage/d) was averaged for all three age groups. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to analyse associations between %cCF and added sugar intake. In infancy, a higher %cCF was associated with odds for high added sugar intake from CF and for high total added sugar intake (>75th percentile, P<0·033). Prospectively, a higher %cCF was related to higher added sugar intake in both pre-school (P<0·041) and primary-school age children (P<0·039), although these associations were attenuated in models adjusting for added sugar intake in infancy. A higher %cCF in infancy may predispose to higher added sugar intake in later childhood by virtue of its added sugar content. Therefore, offering home-made CF or carefully chosen commercial CF without added sugar might be one strategy to reduce sugar intake in infancy and later on.
Serum betaine is inversely associated with low lean mass mainly in men in a Chinese middle-aged and elderly community-dwelling population
Authors: Huang Bi-xia , Zhu Ying-ying , Tan Xu-ying , Lan Qiu-ye , Li Chun-lei , Chen Yu-ming , Zhu Hui-lian
Published: April 2016

Previous studies have demonstrated that betaine supplements increase lean body mass in livestock and improve muscle performance in human beings, but evidence for its effect on human lean mass is limited. Our study assessed the association of circulating betaine with lean mass and its composition in Chinese adults. A community-based study was conducted on 1996 Guangzhou residents (weight/mass: 1381/615) aged 50–75 years between 2008 and 2010. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect general baseline information. Fasting serum betaine was assessed using HPLC-MS. A total of 1590 participants completed the body composition analysis performed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry during a mean of 3·2 years of follow-up. After adjustment for age, regression analyses demonstrated a positive association of serum betaine with percentage of lean mass (LM%) of the entire body, trunk and limbs in men (all P<0·05) and LM% of the trunk in women (P=0·016). Each sd increase in serum betaine was associated with increases in LM% of 0·609 (whole body), 0·811 (trunk), 0·422 (limbs), 0·632 (arms) and 0·346 (legs) in men and 0·350 (trunk) in women. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the prevalence of lower LM% decreased by 17 % (whole body) and 14 % (trunk) in women and 23 % (whole body), 28 % (trunk), 22 % (arms) and 26 % (percentage skeletal muscle index) in men with each sd increment in serum betaine. Elevated circulating betaine was associated with a higher LM% and lower prevalence of lower LM% in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults, particularly men.
The Role of Mutual Funds in Corporate Governance: Evidence from Mutual Funds’ Proxy Voting and Trading Behavior
Authors: Duan Ying , Jiao Yawen
Published: April 2016

This paper examines mutual fund families’ proxy voting records to analyze their choices between voting against management (“voice”) and voting with their feet (“exit”). Even though proxy voting is particularly conducive to governance through voice rather than exit, we provide evidence that both exit and voice are important governance mechanisms when Institutional Shareholder Services recommends voting against management. Funds with smaller ownership blocks and shorter investment horizons are more likely to exit, and funds are more likely to exit small, liquid firms with greater insider ownership.
‘The Little Brother of the Ottoman State’: Ottoman technocrats in Kabul and Afghanistan's development in the Ottoman imagination, 1908–23
Authors: O’SULLIVAN MICHAEL B.
Published: April 2016

By charting the activities of Ottoman experts in Afghanistan from 1908–23, this article demonstrates how their arrival precipitated a series of state-building practices rooted in the particular historical experience of Ottoman reform projects. The country thus became the object of an Ottomanmission civilisatriceand the beneficiary, in the eyes of certain figures within the Ottoman Committee of Union and Progress, of an avowedly Ottoman-Turkish modernity. Sharing this conviction were members of the Afghan royal family and its chief ministers, especially Maḥmūd Ṭarzī, who first invited the Ottoman advisers to Kabul. The provision of Ottoman technical assistance took a variety of forms, but is most evident in military, educational, and public health reforms enacted in Kabul in this period. Through the study of previously unexamined Ottoman, Afghan, and British sources, the aim here is to incorporate these events into discussions of Ottoman informal empire, Afghan developmentalism, and pan-Islam.
Work-related Conditionality and the Access to Social Benefits of National Citizens, EU and Non-EU Citizens
Authors: SHUTES ISABEL
Published: April 2016

This article contributes to an understanding of how conditionality applies across social security and immigration policies in restricting the access to social benefits of national citizens, EU and non-EU citizens. Specifically, the article builds on Clasen and Clegg's (2007) framework of conditionality in the context of welfare state reform by extending that conceptual framework to include migration. The framework is applied to examine how different levels of conditionality have been implemented in UK policy reforms to restrict access to rights of residence and to social benefits. It is argued that a conditionality approach moves beyond a binary of citizens and migrants in social policy analysis, contributing to an understanding of the dynamics and interactions of work-related conditions in restricting access to social benefits, with implications for inequalities that cut across national, EU and non-EU citizens in terms of the relationship of particular groups to the market.
The Clerical Declaration of Assent
Authors: Bursell Rupert
Published: April 2016

Following the Reformation, uniformity was a key principle undergirding worship in
the Church of England. The Crown claimed the prerogative to order the use of,
and to alter, Church services in spite of the provisions of any Act of
Uniformity, the Canons or any Declaration of Assent. This caused confusion among
the clergy and others as to who had ‘lawful authority’ to
permit such usages or changes. This confusion was exacerbated by episcopal
claims to a jus liturgicum. Statute and case law, as well as
the wording of the Declaration, also ensured rigidity in doctrinal adhesion.
Since the Church of England (Worship and Doctrine) Measure 1974 and recent
amendments to the Canons and the Declaration of Assent, this rigidity has been
relaxed and clarity provided as to who may authorise services or permit
departure from otherwise authorised forms of service.
The Anglican Diocese of Grafton's Response to Child Sexual
Abuse at the North Coast Children's Home
Authors: Blake Garth
Published: April 2016

In January 2013 the Australian Government established the Royal Commission into
Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The terms of reference require
the Royal Commission to inquire as what should be done to eliminate or reduce
impediments that currently exist for responding appropriately to child sexual
abuse and related matters in institutional contexts, including addressing
failures in, and impediments to, reporting, investigating and responding to
allegations and incidents of abuse. Further, the Commission is directed to focus
on systemic issues and to be informed by an understanding of individual cases.
In November 2013 the Royal Commission held a public hearing into the Anglican
Diocese of Grafton's response to child sexual abuse at the North
Coast Children's Home and in October 2014 published its Report.
Detecting delirium in elderly outpatients with cognitive impairment
Authors: Stroomer-van Wijk Anne J. M. , Jonker Barbara W. , Kok Rob M. , van der Mast Roos C. , Luijendijk Hendrika J.
Published: April 2016

Background:

Delirium may be more prevalent in elderly outpatients than has long been assumed. However, it may be easily missed due to overlap with dementia. Our aim was to study delirium symptoms and underlying somatic disorders in psycho-geriatric outpatients.

Methods:

We performed a case-control study among outpatients that were referred to a psychiatric institution between January 1st and July 1st 2010 for cognitive evaluation. We compared 44 cases with DSM-IV delirium (24 with and 20 without dementia) to 44 controls with dementia only. All participants were aged 70 years or older. We extracted from the medical files (1) referral characteristics including demographics, medical history, medication use, and referral reasons, (2) delirium symptoms, scored with the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98, and (3) underlying disorders categorized as: drugs/intoxication, infection, metabolic/endocrine disturbances, cardiovascular disorders, central nervous system disorders, and other health problems.

Results:

At referral, delirium patients had significantly higher numbers of chronic diseases and medications, and more often a history of delirium and a recent hospital admission than controls. Most study participants, including those with delirium, were referred for evaluation of (suspected) dementia. The symptoms that occurred more frequently in cases were: sleep disturbances, perceptual abnormalities, delusions, affect lability, agitation, attention deficits, acute onset, and fluctuations. Drug related (68%), infectious (61%), and metabolic-endocrine (50%) disturbances were often involved.

Conclusions:

Detection of delirium and distinction from dementia in older outpatients was feasible but required detailed caregiver information about the presence, onset, and course of symptoms. Most underlying disorders could be managed at home.
Monte Carlo simulation of proton therapy using bio-nanomaterials
Authors: Belamri Chafika , Dib Anis Samy Amine , Belbachir Ahmed H.
Published: April 2016

Introduction

In recent years, there has been a spectacular development in nanomedicine field with new nanoparticles for diagnosis and cancer therapy. Although most researchers have been always interested in gold nanoparticles (GNPs)

Materials and methods

In the present work we present a comparison between the use of bio-nanomaterials in proton therapy.

Conclusion

Consequently, our results show that platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) present an interesting advantages comparing with GNPs and silver nanoparticles. On the other hand, the use of PtNPs facilitates in a considerable way the proton therapy.
THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION AND THE GENESIS OF AMERICA'S JUDICIALIZED ADMINISTRATIVE STATE
Authors: Okayama Hiroshi
Published: April 2016

Revisiting the origins of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) created in 1887 and offering a fresh interpretation that the commission was conceived and operated as a highly court-like agency, this paper argues that its emergence triggered the judicialization of the U.S. administrative state. It has been argued that the blueprint of the ICC took after existing railroad commissions. Its proponents in Congress, however, redesigned it with judicial courts as a model after facing criticisms based on the common-law principle of the supremacy of law allowing adjudication only to judicial courts. In accordance with such an institutional scheme, both the president and judiciary promoted the commission's judicialization by appointing lawyers as its members and reviewing its decisions. By the early twentieth century, the ICC was a prototypical agency whose court-like features permeated the administrative state. This paper thus offers a corrective to the literature on the U.S. administrative state building that has come to trivialize the role of the rise of the ICC. It was, instead, a critical juncture in the emergence of the modern administrative state in which being “quasi-judicial” was the norm rather than the exception for an administrative agency.
MURDER ON THE BRAZOS: THE RELIGIOUS CONTEXT OF THE POPULIST REVOLT
Authors: Postel Charles
Published: April 2016

In the 1880s and ‘90s, Waco, Texas, served as a trading center for the cotton districts of central Texas whose farmers gave rise to the Farmers’ Alliance and turned the region into a Populist hotbed. Waco was also known as the “City of Churches,” as it was the site of Baylor University and other efforts of evangelical churches to build up their institutions. What is less well known is that Waco and its rural environs were also hotbeds of religious heterodoxy. Waco's Iconoclast magazine became a lightning rod of conflict between the Baptists and their skeptical and liberal critics, a conflict that played out to a murderous conclusion. Historians have taken due note of the evangelical environment in which the Populist movement emerged in late nineteenth-century rural America. But in the process the notion of evangelical belief has been too often rendered static and total. The Baptist-Iconoclast conflict in Waco provides an entry point for a better understanding of the dynamic and conflicted nature of the religious context, and the influence of liberal and heterodox ideas within the communities that sustained the Populist cause.
Democratic accountability and the terms of political order
Authors: Olsen Johan P.
Published: April 2016

This paper explores the shifting significance of accountability processes and why they sometimes attract considerable public attention and citizens’ involvement, whereas at other times they escape public notice. Accountability processes are conceived of as order-maintaining or order-transforming processes and I interpret the recent obsession with democratic accountability as part of a struggle over the terms of political order. This paper attends to the importance ofpolitical associationinvolving different mixes of unity/diversity, trust/mistrust, and historical experiences;political organizationand the ordering routines, ideas, and resources of different institutions; andpolitical agencyand shifting attention, zones of acceptance, and action capabilities.
Improving the Identification of Extreme Precipitation Trends in the U.S.
Authors: Cook Terri
Published: April 2016

By greatly reducing the associated uncertainty, a new model is better able to discern statistically significant trends, offering the potential to improve the seasonal forecasting of rare events.
The cell surface environment for pathogen recognition and entry
Authors: Stow Jennifer L , Condon Nicholas D
Published: April 2016

The surface of mammalian cells offers an interface between the cell interior and its surrounding milieu. As part of the innate immune system, macrophages have cell surface features optimised for probing and sampling as they patrol our tissues for pathogens, debris or dead cells. Their highly dynamic and constantly moving cell surface has extensions such as lamellipodia, filopodia and dorsal ruffles that help detect pathogens. Dorsal ruffles give rise to macropinosomes for rapid, high volume non‐selective fluid sampling, receptor internalisation and plasma membrane turnover. Ruffles can also generate phagocytic cups for the receptor‐mediated uptake of pathogens or particles. The membrane lipids, actin cytoskeleton, receptors and signalling proteins that constitute these cell surface domains are discussed. Although the cell surface is designed to counteract pathogens, many bacteria, viruses and other pathogens have evolved to circumvent or hijack these cell structures and their underlying machinery for entry and survival. Nevertheless, these features offer important potential for developing vaccines, drugs and preventative measures to help fight infection.
OX40, PD‐1 and CTLA‐4 are selectively expressed on tumor‐infiltrating T cells in head and neck cancer
Authors: Montler Ryan , Bell R Bryan , Thalhofer Colin , Leidner Rom , Feng Zipei , Fox Bernard A , Cheng Allen C , Bui Tuan G , Tucker Christopher , Hoen Helena , Weinberg Andrew
Published: April 2016

The tumor microenvironment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) has been shown to be immune suppressive. Therefore, strategies aimed at overcoming this issue could have a positive therapeutic impact. Hence, we investigated the expression of the known immune‐modulatory proteins OX40, programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) and cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated protein 4 (CTLA‐4) in SCCHN on different T‐cell subsets of tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) to ascertain whether these proteins could potentially be targeted alone or in combination for future clinical trials. T cells from peripheral blood (PBL) and tumor were analyzed for the expression of OX40, PD‐1 and CTLA‐4 in 29 patients undergoing surgery. These proteins were all expressed significantly higher in T‐cell subsets isolated from tumors compared with PBL of the same patient. OX40 expression was significantly greater in the TIL regulatory T‐cell (Treg) population relative to conventional CD4 and CD8 TIL or the Treg isolated from PBL. PD‐1 expression was increased in all T‐cell subsets relative to PBL. CTLA‐4 was also increased in all TIL subsets relative to blood, and similar to OX40, its highest level of expression was observed in the Treg TIL. The highest frequency of PD‐1, CTLA‐4 and OX40 triple‐positive cells were found in the Treg population isolated from the tumor. We analyzed both human papilloma virus‐positive and ‐negative patients and found similar levels and expression patterns of these two patient populations for all three proteins. These data suggest that there may be therapeutic advantages of targeting these pathways independently or in combination for patients with this disease.
Magnetic-free non-reciprocity based on staggered commutation
Authors: Reiskarimian Negar , Krishnaswamy Harish
Published: April 2016

Lorentz reciprocity is a fundamental characteristic of the vast majority of electronic and photonic structures. However, non-reciprocal components such as isolators, circulators and gyrators enable new applications ranging from radio frequencies to optical frequencies, including full-duplex wireless communication and on-chip all-optical information processing. Such components today dominantly rely on the phenomenon of Faraday rotation in magneto-optic materials. However, they are typically bulky, expensive and not suitable for insertion in a conventional integrated circuit. Here we demonstrate magnetic-free linear passive non-reciprocity based on the concept of staggered commutation. Commutation is a form of parametric modulation with very high modulation ratio. We observe that staggered commutation enables time-reversal symmetry breaking within very small dimensions (λ/1,250 × λ/1,250 in our device), resulting in a miniature radio-frequency circulator that exhibits reduced implementation complexity, very low loss, strong non-reciprocity, significantly enhanced linearity and real-time reconfigurability, and is integrated in a conventional complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor integrated circuit for the first time.
Accelerated search for materials with targeted properties by adaptive design
Authors: Xue Dezhen , Balachandran Prasanna V. , Hogden John , Theiler James , Xue Deqing , Lookman Turab
Published: April 2016

Finding new materials with targeted properties has traditionally been guided by intuition, and trial and error. With increasing chemical complexity, the combinatorial possibilities are too large for an Edisonian approach to be practical. Here we show how an adaptive design strategy, tightly coupled with experiments, can accelerate the discovery process by sequentially identifying the next experiments or calculations, to effectively navigate the complex search space. Our strategy uses inference and global optimization to balance the trade-off between exploitation and exploration of the search space. We demonstrate this by finding very low thermal hysteresis (ΔT) NiTi-based shape memory alloys, with Ti50.0Ni46.7Cu0.8Fe2.3Pd0.2possessing the smallest ΔT(1.84 K). We synthesize and characterize 36 predicted compositions (9 feedback loops) from a potential space of ∼800,000 compositions. Of these, 14 had smaller ΔTthan any of the 22 in the original data set.
A large family of Dscam genes with tandemly arrayed 5′ cassettes in Chelicerata
Authors: Yue Yuan , Meng Yijun , Ma Hongru , Hou Shouqing , Cao Guozheng , Hong Weiling , Shi Yang , Guo Pengjuan , Liu Baoping , Shi Feng , Yang Yun , Jin Yongfeng
Published: April 2016

Drosophila Dscam1 (Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecules) and vertebrate clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs) are two classic examples of the extraordinary isoform diversity from a single genomic locus. Dscam1 encodes 38,016 distinct isoforms via mutually exclusive splicing in D. melanogaster, while the vertebrate clustered Pcdhs utilize alternative promoters to generate isoform diversity. Here we reveal a shortened Dscam gene family with tandemly arrayed 5′ cassettes in Chelicerata. These cassette repeats generally comprise two or four exons, corresponding to variable Immunoglobulin 7 (Ig7) or Ig7–8 domains of Drosophila Dscam1. Furthermore, extraordinary isoform diversity has been generated through a combination of alternating promoter and alternative splicing. These sDscams have a high sequence similarity with Drosophila Dscam1, and share striking organizational resemblance to the 5′ variable regions of vertebrate clustered Pcdhs. Hence, our findings have important implications for understanding the functional similarities between Drosophila Dscam1 and vertebrate Pcdhs, and may provide further mechanistic insights into the regulation of isoform diversity.
CCNF mutations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Williams Kelly L. , Topp Simon , Yang Shu , Smith Bradley , Fifita Jennifer A. , Warraich Sadaf T. , Zhang Katharine Y. , Farrawell Natalie , Vance Caroline , Hu Xun , Chesi Alessandra , Leblond Claire S. , Lee Albert , Rayner Stephanie L. , Sundaramoorthy Vinod , Dobson-Stone Carol , Molloy Mark P. , van Blitterswijk Marka , Dickson Dennis W. , Petersen Ronald C. , Graff-Radford Neill R. , Boeve Bradley F. , Murray Melissa E. , Pottier Cyril , Don Emily , Winnick Claire , McCann Emily P. , Hogan Alison , Daoud Hussein , Levert Annie , Dion Patrick A. , Mitsui Jun , Ishiura Hiroyuki , Takahashi Yuji , Goto Jun , Kost Jason , Gellera Cinzia , Gkazi Athina Soragia , Miller Jack , Stockton Joanne , Brooks William S. , Boundy Karyn , Polak Meraida , Muñoz-Blanco José Luis , Esteban-Pérez Jesús , Rábano Alberto , Hardiman Orla , Morrison Karen E. , Ticozzi Nicola , Silani Vincenzo , de Belleroche Jacqueline , Glass Jonathan D. , Kwok John B. J. , Guillemin Gilles J. , Chung Roger S. , Tsuji Shoji , Brown Robert H. , García-Redondo Alberto , Rademakers Rosa , Landers John E. , Gitler Aaron D. , Rouleau Guy A. , Cole Nicholas J. , Yerbury Justin J. , Atkin Julie D. , Shaw Christopher E. , Nicholson Garth A. , Blair Ian P.
Published: April 2016

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are overlapping, fatal neurodegenerative disorders in which the molecular and pathogenic basis remains poorly understood. Ubiquitinated protein aggregates, of which TDP-43 is a major component, are a characteristic pathological feature of most ALS and FTD patients. Here we use genome-wide linkage analysis in a large ALS/FTD kindred to identify a novel disease locus on chromosome 16p13.3. Whole-exome sequencing identified aCCNFmissense mutation at this locus. Interrogation of international cohorts identified additional novelCCNFvariants in familial and sporadic ALS and FTD. Enrichment of rare protein-alteringCCNFvariants was evident in a large sporadic ALS replication cohort.CCNFencodes cyclin F, a component of an E3 ubiquitin–protein ligase complex (SCFCyclin F). Expression of mutantCCNFin neuronal cells caused abnormal ubiquitination and accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, including TDP-43 and a SCFCyclin Fsubstrate. This implicates common mechanisms, linked to protein homeostasis, underlying neuronal degeneration.
Enhancing coherent transport in a photonic network using controllable decoherence
Authors: Biggerstaff Devon N. , Heilmann René , Zecevik Aidan A. , Gräfe Markus , Broome Matthew A. , Fedrizzi Alessandro , Nolte Stefan , Szameit Alexander , White Andrew G. , Kassal Ivan
Published: April 2016

Transport phenomena on a quantum scale appear in a variety of systems, ranging from photosynthetic complexes to engineered quantum devices. It has been predicted that the efficiency of coherent transport can be enhanced through dynamic interaction between the system and a noisy environment. We report an experimental simulation of environment-assisted coherent transport, using an engineered network of laser-written waveguides, with relative energies and inter-waveguide couplings tailored to yield the desired Hamiltonian. Controllable-strength decoherence is simulated by broadening the bandwidth of the input illumination, yielding a significant increase in transport efficiency relative to the narrowband case. We show integrated optics to be suitable for simulating specific target Hamiltonians as well as open quantum systems with controllable loss and decoherence.
Characterization of eukaryotic DNA N6-methyladenine by a highly sensitive restriction enzyme-assisted sequencing
Authors: Luo Guan-Zheng , Wang Fang , Weng Xiaocheng , Chen Kai , Hao Ziyang , Yu Miao , Deng Xin , Liu Jianzhao , He Chuan
Published: April 2016

Although extensively studied in prokaryotes, the prevalence and significance of DNA N6-methyladenine (6mA or m6dA) in eukaryotes had been underappreciated until recent studies, which have demonstrated that 6mA regulates gene expression as a potential heritable mark. To interrogate 6mA sites at single-base resolution, we report DA-6mA-seq (DpnI-Assisted N6-methylAdenine sequencing), an approach that uses DpnI to cleave methylated adenine sites in duplex DNA. We find that DpnI cuts other sequence motifs besides the canonical GATC restriction sites, thereby expanding the utility of this method. DA-6mA-seq achieves higher sensitivity with nanograms of input DNA and lower sequencing depth than conventional approaches. We study 6mA at base resolution in the Chlamydomonas genome and apply the new method to two other eukaryotic organisms, Plasmodium and Penicillium. Combined with conventional approaches, our method further shows that most 6mA sites are fully methylated on both strands of DNA at various sequence contexts.
Fast and sensitive mapping of nanopore sequencing reads with GraphMap
Authors: Sović Ivan , Šikić Mile , Wilm Andreas , Fenlon Shannon Nicole , Chen Swaine , Nagarajan Niranjan
Published: April 2016

Realizing the democratic promise of nanopore sequencing requires the development of new bioinformatics approaches to deal with its specific error characteristics. Here we present GraphMap, a mapping algorithm designed to analyse nanopore sequencing reads, which progressively refines candidate alignments to robustly handle potentially high-error rates and a fast graph traversal to align long reads with speed and high precision (>95%). Evaluation on MinION sequencing data sets against short- and long-read mappers indicates that GraphMap increases mapping sensitivity by 10–80% and maps >95% of bases. GraphMap alignments enabled single-nucleotide variant calling on the human genome with increased sensitivity (15%) over the next best mapper, precise detection of structural variants from length 100 bp to 4 kbp, and species and strain-specific identification of pathogens using MinION reads. GraphMap is available open source under the MIT license at https://github.com/isovic/graphmap.
Erratum: A silicon-based surface code quantum computer
Authors: O’Gorman Joe , Nickerson Naomi H , Ross Philipp , Morton John JL , Benjamin Simon C
Published: April 2016

Correction to: npj Quantum Information (2016) 2, 15019; doi:10.1038/npjqi.2015.19; published online 2 February 2016 The original version of this article contained errors. In the Introduction: The GitHub online link was incorrectly quoted and should appear as: “/naominickerson/fault_tolerance_simulations/releases”
Correction: Corrigendum: Adipose-derived Stem Cell Conditioned Media Extends Survival time of a mouse model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Fontanilla Christine V. , Gu Huiying , Liu Qingpeng , Zhu Timothy Z. , Zhou Changwei , Johnstone Brian H. , March Keith L. , Pascuzzi Robert M. , Farlow Martin R. , Du Yansheng
Published: April 2016

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 16953; published online: 20 November 2015; updated: 15 April 2016. In this Article, an additional affiliation for Keith L. March was omitted. The correct affiliation is listed below: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and the Indianapolis VA Center for regenerative medicine