bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soil bacterial community response to sulfadiazine in the soil–root zone
Authors: Reichel Rüdiger , Michelini Lucia , Ghisi Rossella , Thiele‐Bruhn Sören
Published: April 2015

Sulfonamide antibiotics reach soil via manure and adversely affect microbial diversity. Clear effects of these bacteriostatic, growth‐inhibiting antibiotics occur in the presence of a parallel input of microbial activity stimulating manure. Natural hot spots with already increased soil microbial activity are located in the rhizosphere, comprising microorganism such as Pseudomonas with plant growth promoting and pathogenic strains. The hypothesis was therefore that the antibiotic activity of sulfonamides is promoted in the rhizosphere even in the absence of manure, followed by shifts of the natural plant‐specific microbial community structure. This was evaluated by a laboratory experiment with Salix fragilis L. and Zea mays L. After 40 d of incubation, sub‐areas such as non‐rhizosphere soil, rhizosphere soil and plant roots were sampled. Effects on microbial community structure were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene fragment patterns of total bacteria community and Pseudomonas. Selected exoenzymes of N‐, P‐, and C‐cycling were used to test effects on microbial functions. Compared to the factors soil sub‐area and sulfadiazine (SDZ) content, plant species had the largest influence on the bacterial community structure and soil exoenzyme activity pattern. This was also reflected by an up to 1.5‐fold higher acid phosphatase activity in samples from maize‐ compared to willow‐planted soil. We conclude that antibiotic effects on the bacterial community structures are influenced by the antibiotic concentration and root influence.
Infrared versus light scattering techniques to monitor the gel to liquid crystal phase transition in lipid membranes
Authors: Sassi Paola , Caponi Silvia , Ricci Maria , Morresi Assunta , Oldenhof Harriëtte , Wolkers Willem F. , Fioretto Daniele
Published: April 2015

In this study, Fourier transform infrared, Raman and Brillouin spectroscopy have been used to study lipid phase behavior of hydrated as well as dried multilamellar l‐α‐phosphatidylcholine assemblies, in order to compare limitations and potentials of the different techniques. Dried lipid samples have been studied in the presence and absence of trehalose, which is known to affect the phase behavior of these systems. The methylene C‐H stretching (2800–3000 cm−1) region in infrared (IR) and Raman spectra provided mutually consistent information on the rearrangement of lipid acyl chains occurring at the lipid melting temperature. IR spectra have a higher signal‐to‐noise ratio, thus permitting a more precise evaluation of the melting temperature. In the hydrated lipid samples, the C‐H stretching region in the Raman spectra is less affected by the contribution of water compared with that in the IR spectra. Raman spectra are particularly suitable to simultaneously study both lipid and water contributions allowing to distinguish ice from non‐frozen water below 0 °C. Brillouin light scattering was used to probe the collective dynamics, i.e. the propagation velocity and the attenuation of longitudinal acoustic modes in the lipid samples. Lipid phase transitions are evident from a change in the temperature behavior of the acoustic velocity. Moreover, a strong relaxation process with a characteristic time of 14 ps was observed in the sample dried without trehalose with a maximum in acoustic attenuation at about 45 °C, which likely reflects the rearrangement of acyl chains. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Oral administration of apple condensed tannins delays rheumatoid arthritis development in mice via downregulation of T helper 17 (Th17) cell responses
Authors: Nakamura Kosuke , Matsuoka Hideki , Nakashima Syohei , Kanda Tomomasa , Nishimaki‐Mogami Tomoko , Akiyama Hiroshi
Published: April 2015

Apples are known to contain high concentrations of phenolic compounds such as condensed tannins. Consumption of condensed tannins has been reported to reduce the risk of many types of chronic diseases including allergies. However, their therapeutic effectiveness and potential in treating autoimmune disease remain controversial. Here, the effect of oral administration of apple condensed tannins (ACT) prepared from apples (Malus pumila cv. Fuji) on bovine type II collagen (CII)‐induced arthritis in DBA1/J mice, a well‐established murine model of human rheumatoid arthritis (RA), was evaluated. As compared to the control (without ACT administration) group, RA development was delayed and a significant reduction in the RA clinical score was observed in the ACT‐administered group. Using cultured splenocytes isolated from CII‐immunized mice, ACT‐administration was shown to decrease the CII‐induced increases in IL‐17 expression and production in vitro. We propose that downregulation of T helper (Th) 17 cells is responsible for the ACT‐induced RA suppression.
Kinetics and Modeling of Ring‐Opening Copolymerization of l‐Lactide and ε‐Caprolactone
Authors: Weng Feiyin , Li Xiaohui , Wang Yanjiao , Wang Wen‐Jun , Severtson Steven J.
Published: April 2015

The bulk ring‐opening copolymerization of l‐lactide with ε‐caprolactone was conducted at 140 °C. The reaction was catalyzed with stannous octoate and initiated using hydroxyethyl methylacrylate to produce acrylated biomass macromonomers. The effects of varying monomer compositions as well as polymer chain lengths on the copolymerizations were experimentally investigated. A mathematical model is developed considering reversible initiation, propagation, chain transfer, and transesterification reactions. The diffusion control associated with polymer chain length is considered in the model. The model successfully predicts monomers conversions, number‐average molecular weights, polydispersity index values, and cumulative copolymer compositions for ring‐opening copolymerizations of l‐lactide with ε‐caprolactone.
Feasibility of human lung ventilation imaging using highly polarized naturally abundant xenon and optimized three‐dimensional steady‐state free precession
Authors: Stewart Neil J. , Norquay Graham , Griffiths Paul D. , Wild Jim M.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

To demonstrate the potential for high quality MRI of pulmonary ventilation using naturally abundant xenon (NAXe) gas.

Methods

MRI was performed at 1.5 Tesla (T) and 3 T on one healthy smoker and two healthy never‐smokers. 129Xe gas was polarized to ∼25% using an in‐house spin‐exchange optical pumping polarizer fitted with a laser diode array with integrated volume holographic grating and optical train system. Volunteers inhaled 1 L of NAXe for an 8 to 15 s breathhold while MR images were acquired with full‐lung coverage using a three‐dimensional steady‐state free precession sequence, optimized for maximum signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) at a given spatial resolution. For the purpose of image quality comparison, the MR acquisition was repeated at 1.5 T with 400 mL enriched xenon and 200 mL 3He.

Results

All NAXe lung images were of high quality, with mean SNRs of 25–40 (voxel 4.2 × 4.2 × 8/10 mm3) and ∼30% improvement at 3 T versus 1.5 T. The high SNR permitted identification of minor ventilation defects in the healthy smoker's lungs. NAXe images were of comparable SNR to those obtained with enriched xenon and 3He.

Conclusion

Optimization of MR pulse sequences and advances in polarization technology have facilitated high quality pulmonary ventilation imaging with inexpensive NAXe gas. Magn Reson Med 74:346–352, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tumor‐specific expression and detection of a CEST reporter gene
Authors: Minn Il , Bar‐Shir Amnon , Yarlagadda Keerthi , Bulte Jeff W. M. , Fisher Paul B. , Wang Hao , Gilad Assaf A. , Pomper Martin G.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

To develop an imaging tool that enables the detection of malignant tissue with enhanced specificity using the exquisite spatial resolution of MRI.

Methods

Two mammalian gene expression vectors were created for the expression of the lysine‐rich protein (LRP) under the control of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter and the progression elevated gene‐3 promoter (PEG‐3 promoter) for constitutive and tumor‐specific expression of LRP, respectively. Using those vectors, stable cell lines of rat 9L glioma, 9LCMV‐LRP and 9LPEG‐LRP, were established and tested for CEST contrast in vitro and in vivo.

Results

9LPEG‐LRP cells showed increased CEST contrast compared with 9L cells in vitro. Both 9LCMV‐LRP and 9LPEG‐LRP cells were capable of generating tumors in the brains of mice, with a similar growth rate to tumors derived from wild‐type 9L cells. An increase in CEST contrast was clearly visible in tumors derived from both 9LCMV‐LRP and 9LPEG‐LRP cells at 3.4 ppm.

Conclusion

The PEG‐3 promoter:LRP system can be used as a cancer‐specific, molecular‐genetic imaging reporter system in vivo. Because of the ubiquity of MR imaging in clinical practice, sensors of this class can be used to translate molecular‐genetic imaging rapidly. Magn Reson Med 74:544–549, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
CFD‐based simulation study on producer gas explosion in an electrostatic precipitation
Authors: Yang Kai , Li Qiang , Ding Zhijiang , Xiao Lichun
Published: April 2015

Gas explosion is one of the most serious problems in the operation of electrostatic precipitation (ESP) which is applied to purify producer gas. Simulation study on the producer gas explosion in ESP has been conducted with computational fluid dynamic method. Producer gas explosion was studied experimentally in a closed rectangular vessel to validate simulation results. Numerical results were proved to be reliable and reasonable which could meet the engineering needs. The factors of flame propagation and pressure variation have also been analyzed. Furthermore, the effects of those explosion parameters such as premixed oxygen concentration, operating conditions, and local gas clouds with high oxygen content were discussed. The results show that maximum explosion pressure rises sharply with the premixed oxygen concentration increasing. Meanwhile, maximum explosion pressure increases with the operating pressure boosting, but decreases while the operating temperature elevates. Explosion pressure of local gas cloud with high oxygen content is a linear function of its volume. For this model, the critical diameter of gas clouds is 1.2 m with the oxygen concentration of 20%. The volumetric ratio of gas clouds in this model is 0.04. This study gives a reference for the optimization of oxygen monitoring‐feedback system response, and can provide theoretical guidance for the design of explosion protection. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 35: 96–102, 2016
A protocol to correct for intra‐ and interspecific variation in tail hair growth to align isotope signatures of segmentally cut tail hair to a common time line
Authors: Burnik Šturm Martina , Pukazhenthi Budhan , Reed Dolores , Ganbaatar Oyunsaikhan , Sušnik Stane , Haymerle Agnes , Voigt Christian C. , Kaczensky Petra
Published: April 2015

Rationale

In recent years, segmental stable isotope analysis of hair has been a focus of research in animal dietary ecology and migration. To correctly assign tail hair segments to seasons or even Julian dates, information on tail hair growth rates is a key parameter, but is lacking for most species.

Methods

We (a) reviewed the literature on tail hair growth rates in mammals; b) made own measurements of three captive equid species; (c) measured δ2H, δ13C and δ15N values in sequentially cut tail hairs of three sympatric, free‐ranging equids from the Mongolian Gobi, using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS); and (d) collected environmental background data on seasonal variation by measuring δ2H values in precipitation by IRMS and by compiling pasture productivity measured by remote sensing via the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI).

Results

Tail hair growth rates showed significant inter‐ and intra‐specific variation making temporal alignment problematic. In the Mongolian Gobi, high seasonal variation of δ2H values in precipitation results in winter lows and summer highs of δ2H values of available water sources. In water‐dependent equids, this seasonality is reflected in the isotope signatures of sequentially cut tails hairs.

Conclusions

In regions which are subject to strong seasonal patterns we suggest identifying key isotopes which show strong seasonal variation in the environment and can be expected to be reflected in the animal tissue. The known interval between the maxima and minima of these isotope values can then be used to correctly temporally align the segmental stable isotope signature for each individual animal. © 2015 The Authors. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Direct detection and quantification of malondialdehyde vapour in humid air using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry supported by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
Authors: Shestivska Violetta , Antonowicz Stefan S , Dryahina Kseniya , Kubišta Jiří , Smith David , Španěl Patrik
Published: April 2015

Rationale

It has been proposed that malondialdehyde (MDA) reflects free oxygen‐radical lipid peroxidation and can be useful as a biomarker to track this process. For the analysis of MDA molecules in humid air by selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT‐MS), the rate coefficients and the ion product distributions for the reactions of the SIFT‐MS reagent ions with volatile MDA in the presence of water vapour are required.

Methods

The SIFT technique has been used to determine the rate coefficients and ion product distributions for the reactions of H3O+, NO+ and O2+• with gas‐phase MDA. In support of the SIFT‐MS analysis of MDA, solid‐phase microextraction, SPME, coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, GC/MS, has been used to confirm the identification of MDA.

Results

The primary product ions have been identified for the reactions of H3O+, NO+ and O2+• with MDA and the formation of their hydrates formed in humid samples is described. The following combinations of reagent and the analyte ions (given as m/z values) have been adopted for SIFT‐MS analyses of MDA in the gas phase: H3O+: 109; NO+: 89, 102; O2+•: 72, 90, 108, 126. The detection and quantification of MDA released by a cell culture by SIFT‐MS are demonstrated.

Conclusions

This detailed study has provided the kinetics data required for the SIFT‐MS analysis of MDA in humid air, including exhaled breath and the headspace of liquid‐phase biogenic media. The detection and quantification by SIFT‐MS of MDA released by a cell culture are demonstrated. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interactions between nanoparticles and lung surfactant investigated by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Chhoden Tashi , Clausen Per Axel , Larsen Søren T. , Nørgaard Asger W. , Lauritsen Frants R.
Published: April 2015

Rationale

Inhaled nanoparticles may cause adverse effects due to inactivation of lung surfactants. We have studied how three different nanoparticles interact with dipalmitoyl‐phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), the main component in lung surfactant.

Methods

DPPC in solution was mixed with a suspension of nanoparticles, both in organic solvent, and allowed to interact for 40 min under conditions partly resembling the alveolar lining. Nanoparticles were isolated by centrifugation, washed, and re‐suspended in ethanol/water 1:1 (v/v). The resulting solution was analyzed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOFMS) using dihydroxybenzoic acid as matrix.

Results

The developed methodology was successfully applied for quantitative detection of phospholipid lung surfactant bound to three different types of nanoparticles. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles had a strong affinity for binding of lipid lung surfactant in contrast to pristine and methylated silica nanoparticles. When the concentration of lipid surfactant was raised in the reaction mixture, the titanium dioxide nanoparticles showed an apparently non‐linear binding process.

Conclusions

This work demonstrates that MALDI‐TOFMS can be used for direct determination of the binding of surfactant lipids to nanoparticles and represents an important initial step towards a simple and quantitative in vitro method for assessment of interactions of nanoparticles with lung surfactants. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Producing absorption mode Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectra with non‐quadratic phase correction functions
Authors: Kilgour David P. A. , Nagornov Konstantin O. , Kozhinov Anton N. , Zhurov Konstantin O. , Tsybin Yury O.
Published: April 2015

Rationale

Previously described methods for producing absorption mode Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectra have all relied on the phase correction function being quadratic. This assumption has been found to be invalid for some instruments and spectra and so it has not been possible to produce absorption mode spectra for these cases.

Methods

The Autophaser algorithm has been adapted to allow nth order polynomial phase correction functions to be optimized. The data was collected on a modified Thermo LTQ FTICR mass spectrometer, using electrospray ionization and a novel ICR cell design (NADEL). Peak assignment and mass calibration were undertaken using the pyFTMS framework.

Results

An nth‐order phase correction function has been used to produce an absorption mode mass spectrum of the maltene fraction of a crude oil sample which was not possible using the previous assumption that the phase correction function must be quadratic. Data processing for this spectrum in absorption mode has shown the expected benefits in terms of increasing the number of assigned peaks and also improving the mass accuracy (i.e. confidence) of the assignments.

Conclusions

It is possible to phase‐correct time‐domain data in FTICRMS to yield absorption mode mass spectra representation even when the data does not correspond to the theoretical quadratic phase correction function predicted by previous studies. This will allow a larger proportion of spectra to be processed in absorption mode. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sustainable Development in Energy Policy: A Governance Assessment of Environmental Stakeholder Inclusion in Waste‐to‐Energy
Authors: McCauley Darren
Published: April 2015

The inclusion of environmental interest groups in policy‐making is said to provide greater legitimacy (Bernauer and Gampfer, 2013), accountability (Feldman and Blokov, 2009), new policy preferences (Bunea, 2013) and, ultimately, pro‐environmental outcomes (Bohmelt and Betzold, 2013). This paper focuses on the development of inclusive governance structures and processes (with regard to environmental interests) in waste‐to‐energy policy designed to facilitate pro‐environmental outcomes in the generation of 'clean' renewable energy within the national context of France. Empirically, the paper argues that change in long‐term exclusionary patterns in energy policy remains enduringly weak. Normatively, environmental 'inclusivity' (i.e. the construction of meaningful pluralistic structures and processes) as a mechanism for achieving the prioritization of environmental concerns should become a central objective for energy policy, and more generally in the environmental policy integration literature. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
What do i want? The effects of individual aspiration and relational capability on collaboration preferences
Authors: Schillebeeckx Simon J. D. , Chaturvedi Sankalp , George Gerard , King Zella
Published: April 2015

Research summary: We examine individuals' collaboration preferences in the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) for the UK plastics electronics sector. Using conjoint analysis, we investigate how aspiration gaps and relational capability affect the value placed on potential organizational collaborations. Aspiration gaps reflect individuals' perception of whether they are ahead of or behind peers on their career trajectory, and relational capability captures three distinct dimensions: networking skills, openness to collaborate, and network awareness. Our findings suggest that positive and negative aspiration gaps augment preferences to form organizational partnerships. These effects are positively moderated by networking skills and openness and negatively moderated by network awareness. We discuss the implications of these findings for theories of partnership formation, scientific collaboration, and behavioral strategy.

Managerial summary: University–industry collaboration is important to the creation and application of new knowledge. Such collaboration requires individuals of different backgrounds to work together, which can be difficult. We investigate what drives individuals' preferences to collaborate. We find that individuals who consider themselves ahead of or behind their peers are more favorable toward collaboration. We also find that networking skill and openness augment this positive collaboration disposition whereas awareness of the network members makes one more selective and reduces the proclivity to collaborate. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of the Initial Microstructure on the Spheroidization of SAE 52100 Bearing Steel
Authors: Hwang Hoon , De Cooman Bruno C.
Published: April 2015

High carbon Cr‐bearing SAE 52100 is widely used for bearing production. The in‐service microstructure of bearing steel is tempered high C martensite, which has superior mechanical properties in severe rolling fatigue conditions. The bearings are produced from steel wire with a pearlitic microstructure. Spheroidization annealing is used to obtain a soft microstructure prior to cold deformation. Spheroidization results in a ferritic matrix with coarse globular cementite. The spheroidization annealing process is lengthy, involving considerable economic cost and an environmental impact related to CO2 emissions. Avoiding spheroidization annealing altogether or substantially reducing the annealing time is, therefore, of industrial relevance. Spheroidization annealing may be omitted if a very soft, i.e., coarse pearlitic microstructure, can be obtained after hot rolling. This is generally considered to be the case for a coarse pearlitic microstructure with a hardness of approximately 270 HV. In practice, the requirement for a guaranteed homogeneous low hardness results in the spheroidization annealing being often still necessary in many circumstances. The present work reports on a study of the potential for the reduction of the spheroidization annealing time by spheroidization of different initial microstructures. The two main findings are (i) that the martensitic and bainitic microstructures spheroidize more rapidly than pearlite and (ii) that an initial martensitic microstructure can achieve a hardness lower than 240 HV within 10 h of spheroidization at 710 °C.
Neural Stem Cells in the Adult Subventricular Zone Oxidize Fatty Acids to Produce Energy and Support Neurogenic Activity
Authors: Stoll Elizabeth A. , Makin Rebecca , Sweet Ian R. , Trevelyan Andrew J. , Miwa Satomi , Horner Philip J. , Turnbull Douglass M.
Published: April 2015

Neural activity is tightly coupled to energy consumption, particularly sugars such as glucose. However, we find that, unlike mature neurons and astrocytes, neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) do not require glucose to sustain aerobic respiration. NSPCs within the adult subventricular zone (SVZ) express enzymes required for fatty acid oxidation and show sustained increases in oxygen consumption upon treatment with a polyunsaturated fatty acid. NSPCs also demonstrate sustained decreases in oxygen consumption upon treatment with etomoxir, an inhibitor of fatty acid oxidation. In addition, etomoxir decreases the proliferation of SVZ NSPCs without affecting cellular survival. Finally, higher levels of neurogenesis can be achieved in aged mice by ectopically expressing proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α), a factor that increases cellular aerobic capacity by promoting mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolic gene transcription. Regulation of metabolic fuel availability could prove a powerful tool in promoting or limiting cellular proliferation in the central nervous system. Stem Cells  2015;33:2306–2319
Comparison of the near‐wake between actuator‐line simulations and a simplified vortex model of a horizontal‐axis wind turbine
Authors: Sarmast Sasan , Segalini Antonio , Mikkelsen Robert F. , Ivanell Stefan
Published: April 2015

The flow around an isolated horizontal‐axis wind turbine is estimated by means of a new vortex code based on the Biot–Savart law with constant circulation along the blades. The results have been compared with numerical simulations where the wind turbine blades are replaced with actuator lines. Two different wind turbines have been simulated: one with constant circulation along the blades, to replicate the vortex method approximations, and the other with a realistic circulation distribution, to compare the outcomes of the vortex model with real operative wind‐turbine conditions (Tjæreborg wind turbine). The vortex model matched the numerical simulation of the turbine with constant blade circulation in terms of the near‐wake structure and local forces along the blade. The results from the Tjæreborg turbine case showed some discrepancies between the two approaches, but overall, the agreement is qualitatively good, validating the analytical method for more general conditions. The present results show that a simple vortex code is able to provide an estimation of the flow around the wind turbine similar to the actuator‐line approach but with a negligible computational effort. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quality of Life After Living Donor Hepatectomy for Liver Transplantation
Authors: Bhatti Abu Bakar Hafeez , Zia Haseeb , Dar Faisal Saud , Zia Mariam Qasim , Nasir Amara , Saif Farah , WahabYousafzai Abdul , Imtiaz Farah , Salih Mohammad , Shah Najmul Hassan
Published: April 2015

Background

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) involves healthy individuals undergoing voluntary major hepatic resection. LDLT program only started in 2012 in Pakistan and its impact on donor’s quality of life (QOL) post resection is not known. The objective of this study was to determine health‐related QOL in donors who underwent hepatectomy in country’s first liver transplant program.

Methods

A total of 60 donors who underwent hepatectomy between 2012 and 2014 with a minimum follow‐up of 6 months were included in the study. Short form (SF‐36) and Profile of mood states (POMS‐65) was used to assess QOL. In addition scores were compared between patients who did and did not develop complications.

Result

Mean time duration between hepatectomy and administration of questionnaire was 15 ± 5.1 months. Median age was 28 (19–45) years. Mean BMI was 24.4 ± 3.7. A total of 7 (11.6 %) Grade 3 and above complications were observed in donors. Donors exceeded a score of 90 in 6 out of 8 evaluated categories on SF‐36. The highest mean score was recorded for emotional role limitation 95.5 ± 17.1 and lowest for energy 84.8 ± 17.5. The mean score for anger was 6.6 ± 7.5. Donors also did well on the POMS vigor score with a mean of 22.7 ± 5. No significant difference in scores was observed between donors with and without complications for any of the categories except tension. Donors who developed complications post‐operatively had a significantly low mean tension score of 1.5 versus 3.8 for donors without complications.

Conclusion

Acceptable post donation QOL was achieved and surgical complications did not adversely affect SF‐36 and POMS scores.
Fatty Acid, Lipid Class, and Phospholipid Molecular Species Composition of the Soft Coral Xenia sp. (Nha Trang Bay, the South China Sea, Vietnam)
Authors: Imbs Andrey B. , Dang Ly P. T. , Rybin Viacheslav G. , Svetashev Vasily I.
Published: April 2015

The soft corals of the genus Xenia are common for Indo‐Pacific reef ecosystems. Lipid class, fatty acid (FA), phospho‐ and phosphonolipid molecular species compositions were identified for the first time in the soft coral Xenia sp. from Vietnam. Total lipids consisted predominantly of waxes, monoalkyl diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols, sterols, and polar lipids (21.4, 7.7, 14.2, 10.5, and 36.7 %, respectively). Sesquiterpene alcohol, valerenenol, was found. Acids 16:0, 18:3n‐6, 20:4n‐6, and 20:5n‐3 dominated in total FA. The markers of zooxanthellae (18:4n‐3 and 18:5n‐3) and octocorals (24:5n‐6 and 24:6n‐3) were detected. Acids 18:5n‐3, 20:4n‐6, 22:4n‐6, and 24:5n‐6 concentrated in FA of polar lipids, whereas 14:0, 16:0, 16:1n‐7, 18:2n‐6, and 18:3n‐6 were the major FA of neutral lipids. ChoGpl, EtnGpl, SerGpl, CAEP, PtdIns, and lyso ChoGpl constituted 39.5, 20.8, 20.5, 9.7, 4.3, and 5.3 %, respectively, of the sum of phospho‐ and phosphonolipids. Thirty‐two molecular species of phospholipids and ceramide aminoethylphosphonate (CAEP) were determined by high resolution tandem mass spectrometry. Lyso 18:0e PakCho (4.1 %), 18:0e/20:4 PakCho (20.5 %), 18:1e/20:4 PlsEtn (18.0 %), 18:0e/24:5 PakSer (14.0 %), and 16:0 CAEP (9.6 %) were the major molecular species. EtnGpl and PtdIns mainly consisted of alkenyl acyl and diacyl forms, respectively. Alkyl acyl forms predominated in ChoGpl and SerGpl. Acid 24:5n‐6 was a principal FA in SerGpl, whereas 20:4n‐6 was more abundant in ChoGpl and EtnGpl. PtdIns contained various C20–24 PUFA. In the context of chemotaxonomy of corals, Xenia sp. has the lipid composition typical for soft corals and the FA profile similar to that of alcyonarians with the high level of 18:3n‐6.
Long-Term Follow-Up and Survivorship After Completing Systematic Surveillance in Stage I–III Colorectal Cancer: Who Is Still at Risk?
Authors: Veen T. , Stormark K. , Nedrebø B. S. , Berg M. , Søreide J. A. , Kørner H. , Søreide Kjetil
Published: April 2015

Purpose

In patients with a high life expectancy at the time of surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC), the long-term outcome may be influenced by factors other than their cancer. We aimed to investigate the long-term outcome and cause of death beyond a 5-year surveillance programme.

Methods

We evaluated the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of a population-based cohort of stage I–III CRC patients <75 years old who completed a systematic surveillance programme.

Results

In total, 161 patients <75 years old, 111 (69 %) of whom were node negative (pN0), were included. The median follow-up time was 12.1 years. The OS was 54 % at 15 years and differed significantly between the pN0 and pN+ patients (65 vs. 30 %; P < 0.001); CSS (72 %) also differed between the pN0 and pN+ patients (85 vs. 44 %; P < 0.001). For the 5-year survivors (n = 119), 14 (12 %) died of CRC during additional long-term follow-up (7 each for pN0 and pN+), and 6 patients (5 %; all pN0) died of other cancers. Patients aged <65 years exhibited better long-term survival (81 %), but most of the deaths were due to CRC (10/12 deaths). Only two of the 14 cancer-related deaths involved microsatellite instable (MSI) CRC. Females exhibited better OS and CSS beyond 5 years of surveillance.

Conclusions

The long-term survival beyond 5-year survivorship for stage I–III CRC is very good. Nonetheless, cancer-related deaths are encountered in one-third of patients and occur most frequently in patients who are <65 years old at disease onset—pointing to a still persistent risk several years after surgery.
Combined Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular staging explains advanced dementia cognition
Authors: Zea‐Sevilla María Ascensión , Fernández‐Blázquez Miguel Angel , Calero Miguel , Bermejo‐Velasco Pedro , Rábano Alberto
Published: April 2015

Introduction

The absence of a consensus system for full neuropathological evaluation limits clinicopathological studies and comparability between laboratories. Combined staging for Alzheimer's type and cerebral vascular pathology may allow a better classification of cases for clinical and cognitive correlation.

Methods

Cognitive and postmortem neuropathological data were obtained from 70 brains donated to the Tissue Bank of the Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Neurológicas (CIEN) Foundation according to recently developed staging schemes for Alzheimer's type and vascular pathology. Subjects belonged to a cohort of institutionalized patients with moderate or severe dementia and a mean follow‐up period of 7 years.

Results

Cases were classified into three groups: Alzheimer's predominant (64.1%), vascular predominant (6.3%) and mixed pathology (29.6%). Significant differences were observed in Severe Mini‐Mental State Examination and verbal fluency between the vascular predominant and the other groups of patients.

Discussion

The combination of scales measuring cerebral vascular and Alzheimer's type pathology allowed a classification of patients that reveals differences between groups in premortem cognitive features.
Applying a Behavioral Model Framework for Disaster Recovery Research in Local Public Health Agencies: A Conceptual Approach
Authors: Walsh Lauren , Garrity Stephanie , Rutkow Lainie , Thompson Carol B. , Strauss-Riggs Kandra , Altman Brian A. , Schor Kenneth , Barnett Daniel J.
Published: April 2015

The local public health agency (LPHA) workforce is at the center of the public health emergency preparedness system and is integral to locally driven disaster recovery efforts. Throughout the disaster recovery period, LPHAs have a primary responsibility for community health and are responsible for a large number of health services. In the face of decreasing preparedness funding and increasing frequency and severity of disasters, LPHAs continue to provide essential disaster life cycle services to their communities. However, little is known about the confidence that LPHA workers have in performing disaster recovery-related duties. To date, there is no widely used instrument to measure LPHA workers’ sense of efficacy, nor is there an educational intervention designed specifically to bolster disaster recovery-phase efficacy perceptions. Here, we describe the important role of the LPHA workforce in disaster recovery and the operational- and efficacy-related research gaps inherent in today’s disaster recovery practices. We then propose a behavioral framework that can be used to examine LPHA workers’ disaster recovery perceptions and suggest a research agenda to enhance LPHA workforce disaster recovery efficacy through an evidence-informed educational intervention. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:403–408)
ANALYTIC EQUIVALENCE RELATIONS SATISFYING HYPERARITHMETIC-IS-RECURSIVE
Authors: MONTALBÁN ANTONIO
Published: April 2015

We prove, in$\text{ZF}+\boldsymbol{{\it\Sigma}}_{2}^{1}$-determinacy, that, for any analytic equivalence relation$E$, the following three statements are equivalent: (1) $E$does not have perfectly many classes, (2) $E$satisfies hyperarithmetic-is-recursive on a cone, and (3) relative to some oracle, for every equivalence class$[Y]_{E}$we have that a real$X$computes a member of the equivalence class if and only if${\it\omega}_{1}^{X}\geqslant {\it\omega}_{1}^{[Y]}$. We also show that the implication from (1) to (2) is equivalent to the existence of sharps over $ZF$.
A systematic investigation of roughness height and wavelength in turbulent pipe flow in the transitionally rough regime
Authors: Chan L. , MacDonald M. , Chung D. , Hutchins N. , Ooi A.
Published: April 2015

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are conducted for turbulent flow through pipes with three-dimensional sinusoidal roughnesses explicitly represented by body-conforming grids. The same viscous-scaled roughness geometry is first simulated at a range of different Reynolds numbers to investigate the effects of low Reynolds numbers and low$R_{0}/h$, where$R_{0}$is the pipe radius and$h$is the roughness height. Results for the present class of surfaces show that the Hama roughness function${\rm\Delta}U^{+}$is only marginally affected by low Reynolds numbers (or low$R_{0}/h$), and observations of outer-layer similarity (or lack thereof) show no signs of sensitivity to Reynolds number. Then, building on this, a systematic approach is taken to isolate the effects of roughness height$h^{+}$and wavelength${\it\lambda}^{+}$in a turbulent wall-bounded flow in both transitionally rough and fully rough regimes. Current findings show that while the effective slope$\mathit{ES}$(which for the present sinusoidal surfaces is proportional to$h^{+}/{\it\lambda}^{+}$) is an important roughness parameter, the roughness function${\rm\Delta}U^{+}$must also depend on some measure of the viscous roughness height. A simplistic linear–log fit clearly illustrates the strong correlation between${\rm\Delta}U^{+}$and both the roughness average height$k_{a}^{+}$(which is related to$h^{+}$) and$\mathit{ES}$for the surfaces simulated here, consistent with published literature. Various definitions of the virtual origin for rough-wall turbulent pipe flow are investigated and, for the surfaces simulated here, the hydraulic radius of the pipe appears to be the most suitable parameter, and indeed is the only virtual origin that can ever lead to collapse in the total stress. First- and second-order statistics are also analysed and collapses in the outer layer are observed for all cases, including those where the largest roughness height is a substantial proportion of the reference radius (low$R_{0}/h$). These results provide evidence that turbulent pipe flow over the present sinusoidal surfaces adheres to Townsend’s notion of outer-layer similarity, which pertains to statistics of relative motion.
DNA barcoding implicates 23 species and four orders as potential pollinators of Chinese knotweed (Persicaria chinensis) in Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Wong M.-M. , Lim C.-L. , Wilson J.-J.
Published: April 2015

Chinese knotweed (Persicaria chinensis) is of ecological and economic importance as a high-risk invasive species and a traditional medicinal herb. However, the insects associated with P. chinensis pollination have received scant attention. As a widespread invasive plant we would expect P. chinensis to be associated with a diverse group of insect pollinators, but lack of taxonomic identification capacity is an impediment to confirm this expectation. In the present study we aimed to elucidate the insect pollinators of P. chinensis in peninsular Malaysia using DNA barcoding. Forty flower visitors, representing the range of morphological diversity observed, were captured at flowers at Ulu Kali, Pahang, Malaysia. Using Automated Barcode Gap Discovery, 17 morphospecies were assigned to 23 species representing at least ten families and four orders. Using the DNA barcode library (BOLD) 30% of the species could be assigned a species name, and 70% could be assigned a genus name. The insects visiting P. chinensis were broadly similar to those previously reported as visiting Persicaria japonica, including honey bees (Apis), droneflies (Eristalis), blowflies (Lucilia) and potter wasps (Eumedes), but also included thrips and ants.
EDITORIAL FOREWORD
Authors: Khater Akram , Culang Jeffrey
Published: April 2015

This issue opens with two articles that explore “Ottoman Belonging” during two significant moments bookending the Ottoman past. The first of these moments is the Ottoman Empire's incorporation of Arab lands after its defeat of the Mamluk Sultanate in 1515–17; the second is the emergence of Ottoman imperial citizenship in the period between the 1908 Constitutional Revolution and World War I, which precipitated the empire's collapse. Helen Pfeifer's article, “Encounter after the Conquest: Scholarly Gatherings in 16th-Century Ottoman Damascus,” traces the intellectual component of the Ottoman Empire's absorption of formerly Mamluk subjects after rapidly conquering an immense territory stretching from Damascus to Cairo to Mecca. As Western European states expanded to control new territories and peoples, the Turkish-speaking Ottomans from the central lands (Rumis) had new encounters of their own—with the Arabic-speaking inhabitants of Egypt, Greater Syria, and the Hijaz. The conquest transferred the seat of political power in the Islamicate world from Cairo to Istanbul. Yet, as Pfeifer discusses, the Ottomans understood that their newly acquired political power had no parallel in cultural and religious domains, where prestige belonged predominantly to Arab scholars. Focusing on majālis (sing. majlis), or scholarly gatherings, in Damascus, Pfeifer traces “one of the greatest instances of knowledge transmission and cultural encounter in the history of the Ottoman Empire,” through which this asymmetry was overcome. By facilitating the circulation of books and ideas, she argues, scholarly gatherings—two depictions of which are featured on the issue’s cover—gave rise to an “empire-wide learned culture as binding as any political or administrative ingredient of the Ottoman imperial glue.”
BECOMING A MAN IN AL-WIHDAT: MASCULINE PERFORMANCES IN A PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMP IN JORDAN
Authors: Achilli Luigi
Published: April 2015

This article explores the complex interplay between masculinity and nationalism among Palestinians living in a refugee camp in Jordan. Youth masculinity in the camp is widely perceived in Jordan as an expression of either immoral behavior or unthinking radicalism, and as a symbol of cultural and political difference and the failure of camp dwellers to embrace assimilation. However, camp dwellers’ masculinities are not uniform. I argue that young men's ability to navigate and master diverse and sometimes contrasting registers of manhood enables them to reproduce a Palestinian national identity in exile while achieving socioeconomic integration in Jordan. In pursuing this argument, the article has two goals: to challenge popular stereotypes about Palestinian refugees in Jordan today; and to problematize the discursive mutual dependency between nationalism and hegemonic masculinity in the study of Palestinian masculinity.
THE POLITICAL CONTROVERSY OVER GRAECO-ARABIC PHILOSOPHY AND SUFISM IN NASRID GOVERNMENT: THE CASE OF IBN AL-KHATIB IN AL-ANDALUS
Authors: Akhtar Ali Humayun
Published: April 2015

During the reign of the Nasrid sultan Muhammad V in 14th-century Granada, the renowned literary figure Lisan al-Din ibn al-Khatib rose to the office of vizier and chief dignitary. A text on Graeco-Arabic philosophy and Sufism that he wrote under court patronage,Rawdat al-Taʿrif fi al-Hubb al-Sharif(The Garden of Knowledge of Noble Love), became the centerpiece of a famous court case against him that led to his downfall. Historians have had difficulty interpreting the case because of its political context. Was Ibn al-Khatib's demise really about his philosophical and mystical ideas given his entanglement in power rivalries at the court? Scholars have suggested that Ibn al-Khatib's text was used merely as a pretext to remove him from power. In contrast, I argue that the specific power rivalry between the chief qadi and Ibn al-Khatib only escalated into a court case because, at a time when Sufis were controversial, the qadi read Ibn al-Khatib's Sufi-inspired doctrines as a claim on his religious authority. Ibn al-Khatib's ideas, rather than a pretext for prosecution, were the necessary condition for the power rivalry to erupt into a court case. This reading of the case highlights the way intellectual debates shaped contingent political processes in the medieval Islamic world.
Rethinking Digital Technologies in the Middle East
Authors: Rahimi Babak
Published: April 2015

In 2003, while a graduate student working on my dissertation, I wrote an article on the Internet in postrevolutionary Iran that looked at the politics of the emerging technology in a country undergoing major political changes. In the context of political rivalries between reformists and conservatives, the Internet, I argued, “as an advancing means of communication,” played a key role in the struggle for democracy by opening up a virtual space of dissident activism. Euphoric in spirit and utopian in outlook, the article ended with the following quotation from an Iranian dissident: “At night, every light that is on in Tehran shows that somebody is sitting behind a computer, driving through information roads; and that is in fact a storehouse of gunpowder that, if ignited, will start a great firework in the capital of the revolutionary Islam.” These “information roads,” I concluded, could play a significant role in the emergence of a new form of political society in Iran and beyond.
A NEW MATERIALISM? GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE AGE OF EMPIRE
Authors: Jakes Aaron
Published: April 2015

The world is not flat, nor has it ever been, but empire's apologists have been claiming otherwise for a very long time. A full decade has passed since Thomas Friedman published his manifesto on behalf of neoliberal globalization. But if Friedman's reductionism and mangled metaphors still make him an easy target for critical scorn, his “brief history of the twenty-first century” offers a remarkably compact distillation of several key ideas that organize mainstream globalization discourse well beyond his fortified outpost on the op-ed page of The New York Times. The first is a presentist assertion that globalization is new, that a recent intensification of worldwide flows of capital, goods, information, and people represents a sharp rupture with the past. This historically dubious account of global connections in turn undergirds two further claims about the character of the transformations taking place in the current moment. Globalization, in Friedman's telling as in so many others, appears as a process of convergence, synchronization, and unification. And new technologies such as smart phones, laptops, and the Internet, themselves described as the unambiguous products of Western ingenuity, hold out the promise that this “flattening” of space will advance the spread not only of economic opportunity but also of liberal, secular values. Neither the forms of global connection and movement that Friedman purports to reveal nor his ways of writing about them, however, are as novel as his breathless exclamations would have us believe. It is these paired critical insights that provide the common thread between the five new histories of globalization and technology under consideration in this essay.
FANNY COLONNA (1934–2014)
Authors: Burke Edmund
Published: April 2015

Fanny Reynaud Colonna was born in 1934 in El Milia in eastern Algeria, the daughter of a French civil administrator who made sure she learned Arabic. She died on 18 November 2014 in Paris at the age of eighty. Widely regarded as the foremost sociologist/anthropologist of Algeria of her generation, Fanny's life and publications were devoted to raising inconvenient questions about the colonial fact and its contemporary afterlife.
Differential Equation of the Loxodrome on a Helicoidal Surface
Authors: Babaarslan Murat , Yayli Yusuf
Published: April 2015

In nature, science and engineering, we often come across helicoidal surfaces. A curve on a helicoidal surface in Euclidean 3-space is called a loxodrome if the curve intersects all meridians at a constant azimuth angle. Thus loxodromes are important in navigation. In this paper, we find the differential equation of the loxodrome on a helicoidal surface in Euclidean 3-space. Also we give some examples and draw the corresponding pictures via the Mathematica computer program to aid understanding of the mathematics of navigation.