bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fungal spores and fruiting bodies in cervicovaginal smears: Contaminant or infection?
Authors: Kini Hema , Kini Jyoti R. , Suman Ethel , Rai Sharada
Published: January 2017

Background

Contaminants from various sources are curious findings in cervicovaginal smears and pose diagnostic challenges especially when they need to be distinguished from pathogens. Candidiasis is the most frequently encountered fungal infection but fungal contaminants are relatively common. Detection of fruiting bodies and spores of Aspergillus species is uncommon and may represent either a true infection or contamination. This study was undertaken to evaluate the presence of fungal spores, hyphae, and fruiting bodies in routine cervical smears and distinguish a true infection from contamination.

Methods

Conventional cervicovaginal smears collected from women were incidentally found to have fungal fruiting bodies and spores. All smears received in the Cytology Department during that one month were reviewed for the presence of these elements.

Results

Five out of the 120 smears, received from the outpatient department over a period of three consecutive days, showed evidence of fungal organisms. The patients were 28–59 years of age. While four patients were asymptomatic, only one patient complained of minimal vaginal discharge. All were immunocompetent. Cervicovaginal smears were prepared as part of routine screening. Fungal fruiting bodies, branching hyphae and numerous spores were seen in otherwise normal smears. Culture of scrapings from the surface of the wooden spatulas grew Aspergillus niger.

Conclusions

Contamination of Pap smears by fungus must be distinguished from true infection, the latter being supported by positive clinical findings and the presence of significant inflammation in the smears. Literature review was done to see the range of contaminants detected in Pap smears. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:191–194. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Removal of Ethylene and By‐Products Using Packed Bed Dielectric Barrier Discharge with Ag Nanoparticle‐Loaded Zeolite
Authors: NISHIMURA JUNKI , KAWAMURA TOMOYA , TAKAHASHI KATSUYUKI , TERAMOTO YOSHIYUKI , TAKAKI KOICHI , KOIDE SHOJI , SUGA MASAYA , ORIKASA TAKAHIRO , UCHINO TOSHITAKA
Published: January 2017

Ethylene gas was decomposed using packed‐bed type dielectric barrier discharge (PBDBD) plasma reactor to keep freshness of fruits. The ethylene gas was diluted with gas mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide as simulated gas in the transportation container. The PBDBD plasma was generated by a pulse switching power supply, which consisted of MOS‐FET switching devices, capacitors, and pulse transformers. The Ag nanoparticle‐loaded zeolite as catalyst has high activity and good performance for reduction of ozone and oxidizing carbon monoxide at room temperature. The Ag nanoparticle‐loaded zeolite pellets enhanced ethylene removal efficiency and reduced ozone and carbon monoxide produced by the plasma treatment. It was confirmed that the carbon monoxide in the gas simulated dry air composition was oxidized using Ag nanoparticle‐loaded zeolite with plasma treatment.
Development of an All‐Fiber Coherent Beam Combining System toward High Energy Pulse Fiber Lasers
Authors: KAMBAYASHI YUTA , YOSHIDA MINORU , INOUE TATSUKI
Published: January 2017

Our present work develops an all‐fiber coherent beam combining (CBC) system to achieve a high energy pulse fiber laser beyond pulse energy limits due to nonlinear effects in rare‐earth‐doped fibers. Coherent beam combining is a power addition technology that obtains high energy density and high beam quality because it integrates multiple laser beams in a monolight wave. However, the CBC using optical fibers is technically difficult because the optical phases and polarization in optical fibers fluctuate due to disturbances. Therefore, we developed a novel all‐fiber CBC system that can precisely control optical path lengths and automatically compensate polarization changes. When the system combined four laser pulses, it achieved a beam‐combining efficiency of 96.6% that was about four times as high as a pulse energy before combining. In addition, the system obtained 97.1% beam‐combining efficiency of CBC using femtosecond pulses that have very low coherences by minimizing the optical path‐length differences between combined two pulses. Moreover, the system successfully regulated the beam‐combining‐efficiency changes to less than 2.0 percentage points in full width by suppressing optical path‐length fluctuations and tracking‐control of the optical phases.
An Adaptive Notch Gain Using an Inverse Notch Filter and a Linear Prediction Filter
Authors: NAKAMURA YOUHEI , KAWAMURA ARATA , IIGUNI YOUJI
Published: January 2017

This paper proposes an adaptive notch filter that automatically adjusts the notch frequency and notch gain, where they are the null frequency and the depth of the null, respectively. The proposed notch filter consists of an inverse notch filter and a linear prediction filter, and gives an appropriate filter gain which can eliminate a sinusoidal noise and extract only a wide‐band signal even if they share the same frequency. We compare the capability of the proposed notch filter with traditional methods. Simulation results show that the proposed system improves the SNR in comparison to the conventional methods.
Development of a Portable System for Detection of Thermally Grown Oxide Layer in Thermal Barrier Coating
Authors: FUKUCHI TETSUO , OKADA MITSUTOSHI , FUJII TOMOHARU
Published: January 2017

Thermal barrier coating (TBC) is applied to high temperature components in gas turbines. The thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer, which forms at the interface between the topcoat and the bondcoat, is an origin of topcoat damage, which can lead to delamination of the topcoat. In order to detect the TGO layer in in‐service components, a portable detection system based on photoluminescence was developed. The system consists of a compact, continuous wave Nd:YAG laser of wavelength 532 nm to excite Cr3+ included as an impurity in Al2O3 and a compact spectrometer with a two‐dimensional CCD array for enhanced sensitivity to detect the photoluminescence from Cr3+ at 694.3 nm (R1) and 692.9 nm (R2). An optical probe is used to illuminate the specimen with laser light and to collect the photoluminescence. The probing region is a circle of diameter 5 mm. The optical probe is coupled to the main body by an optical fiber, which allows flexibility to match specimens with curved surfaces or complex structures. The system performance was tested using TBC specimens heated at 1000 °C and 1100 °C, and an as‐sprayed, unheated TBC specimen. Photoluminescence (R1 and R2) was observed from heated specimens and was not observed from the unheated specimen, and agreed with previous measurement results. This system can be used for screening test of topcoat delamination inspection, since delamination is likely to occur at locations where the TGO layer has grown.
Migration in geographic and ecological space by a large herbivore
Authors: Peters Wibke , Hebblewhite Mark , Mysterud Atle , Spitz Derek , Focardi Stefano , Urbano Ferdinando , Morellet Nicolas , Heurich Marco , Kjellander Petter , Linnell John D. C. , Cagnacci Francesca
Published: January 2017

Partial migration, when only part of the population migrates seasonally while the other part remains resident on the shared range, is the most common form of migration in ungulates. Migration is often defined by spatial separation of seasonal ranges and consequently, classification of individuals as migrants or residents is usually only based on geographic criteria. However, the underlying mechanism for migration is hypothesized to be movement in response to spatiotemporal resource variability and thus, migrants are assumed to travel an “ecological distance” (ED) or shift their realized ecological niches. While ecological and geographic distances should be related, their relationship may depend on landscape heterogeneity. Here, we tested the utility of ecological niche theory to both classify migratory individuals and to understand the underlying ecological factors for migratory behavior. We developed an integrative approach combining measures in geographic and ecological niche space and used this to classify and explain migratory behavior of 71 annual roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) movement trajectories in five European study areas. First, to assess the utility of theEDconcept for classifying migratory behavior, we tested whether roe deer sought the same ecological conditions year‐round or moved to different ecological conditions by measuring the annualEDtravelled and the seasonal niche overlap using multivariate statistics. Comparing methods to classify migrants and residents based on geographic and ecological niche space, we found that migratory roe deer switched between seasons both in geographic and in ecological dimensions. Second, we tested which seasonal ecological factors separated resident from migrant niches using discriminant analysis and which broad‐scale determinants (e.g., spatiotemporal forage variation and population density) predicted migration probability using generalized linear models. Our results indicated that factors describing forage and topographic variability discriminated seasonal migrant from resident niches. Determinants for predicting migration probability included the temporal variation (seasonality) and also the spatial variability of forage patches. Last, we also found suggestive evidence for a positive relationship between population density and migration probability. By applying the ecological niche concept to the study of partial migration in ungulates, our work underlines that partial migration is a form of behavioral plasticity.
Assimilation and isotopic discrimination of hydrogen in tilapia: implications for studying animal diet with δ2H
Authors: Newsome Seth D. , Wolf Nathan , Bradley Christina J. , Fogel Marilyn L.
Published: January 2017

Hydrogen isotope (δ2Η) analysis has become a valuable tool in the study of animal migration; however, the biochemical framework required for ecologists to confidently apply δ2Η to quantify resource use has yet to be adequately resolved. In contrast to carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes where food is the only source of these elements, there are two distinct sources of hydrogen available to consumers for tissue synthesis: food and water. To effectively use tissue δ2Η values as a tracer of food and water resources, two fundamental questions need to be examined in animals that inhabit different environments: (1) What proportion of hydrogen in tissues is derived from sources of food vs. water? and (2) What is the magnitude and degree of variation in total δ2Η discrimination (Δ2Hnet) between consumer tissues and these sources? We completed a 3 × 3 controlled feeding experiment on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in which we varied the δ2Η of tank water and dietary macromolecules to examine these questions in two tissues commonly analyzed by ecologists: muscle and liver. We found that the proportion of hydrogen in tilapia tissue derived from tank water was similar for muscle (~23%) and liver (~25%). We then used linear regression and an isotope mixing model based on accompanying δ13C data to estimate the proportion of hydrogen in muscle and liver tissue derived from dietary protein (34–44%), cornmeal (21–27%), corn syrup (4–5%), and lipids (≤1%). With this information and the δ2Η values of water, protein, carbohydrates, and lipids supplied to fish in each treatment, we calculated Δ2Hnet values of −47‰ ± 5‰ for muscle and −41‰ ± 5‰ for liver. Our experiment is the first to quantify the relative proportion of hydrogen from different dietary macromolecules used by an omnivore to synthesize its tissues. Such information is needed to further refine the use of δ2Η analysis as a dietary tracer for aquatic animals.
Academic productivity in the field of ecology
Authors: Keville Megan P. , Nelson Cara R. , Hauer F. Richard
Published: January 2017

Although the broad field of ecology and its role in understanding the distribution and diversity of life on earth is a central part of the natural sciences, there is currently no comprehensive ranking of academic institutions for this discipline, which has quadrupled in research volume and visibility over the past three decades. We assessed scholarly productivity in the field of ecology for 316 North American academic institutions between the years 2000 and 2014. We present institutional rankings of productivity in terms of number of publications, number of citations, and Hirsch'shindex, a measure that integrates productivity and impact. For the top‐ranked institutions, we also calculatedhm, anh‐based metric used to compare productivity across institutions of different sizes. In addition, we analyzed the effect of institution size onhindex, publication rate, and number of citations. We found that scholarship in ecology is not significantly different between public and private universities, and from institutions ranging in size from extremely large to relatively small. Many of the institutions in the “ecology top 20” are widely considered as being among North America's elite schools. However, there are several smaller institutions that have very high research productivity and impact in ecology with an apparently very strong ecology faculty. Administrators, faculty, prospective faculty, and students use institutional rankings, along with other data, to make decisions about programs in which to invest or participate. Relative institutional strength in the field of ecology, however, has not been previously measured, perhaps because faculty with expertise in ecology are often dispersed through multiple academic units of a university. Thus, our findings fill an important gap for ecology as a discipline.
Long‐term response of oak‐hickory regeneration to partial harvest and repeated fires: influence of light and moisture
Authors: Iverson Louis R. , Hutchinson Todd F. , Peters Matthew P. , Yaussy Daniel A.
Published: January 2017

By tracking oak‐hickory (Quercus‐Carya) regeneration for 13 yr across management‐manipulated light and topographically driven moisture gradients after partial harvest and three prescribed fires, we document best‐case conditions to promote advanced oak regeneration, and thereby provide a promising management tool to reverse the downward spiral in oak that plagues much of the Central Hardwoods within the eastern United States. This study was established in 2000 to assess regeneration following prescribed fire (spring of 2001, 2005, and 2010) in combination with partial harvest (late 2000) across two sites in southern Ohio. Each of the four 20+  ha treatment units (two partial harvest and burn, two controls) were modeled and mapped for long‐term moisture regime using the Integrated Moisture Index (IMI) , and a 50‐m grid of sampling points established throughout the units. Vegetation and light were sampled at each gridpoint before and after treatments, in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2013. The partial harvest and burn treatments generally had more light which resulted in an increased number of oak stems. The fires promoted heterogeneity (pyrodiversity) in tree mortality and light availability, and consequently oak‐hickory regeneration, mostly following IMI patterns with the drier portions of the landscape having more fire, more light penetration, and greater regeneration compared to moist locations. Several other species also had marked variations in numbers and size throughout this period, depending on landscape variation in fire intensity and moisture regimes. These included Acer rubrum and Liriodendron tulipifera which expanded initially then collapsed after repeated fire, and Sassafras albidum which continued to flourish on dry sites. Based on this study, we recommend for topographically appropriate dry and intermediate sites, a partial harvest followed by two or three dormant‐season fires (depending on fire intensity) allowing roughly 6–18% light to penetrate the forest floor. This will promote oak‐hickory into the advanced oak regeneration status. Then, following a hiatus from burning for some years to further advance oak‐hickory growth without topkill, some proportion of oaks and hickories can be expected to advance to the canopy following natural disturbance or harvest of current canopy. On mesic sites, though treatments demonstrated here do improve oak‐hickory regeneration, the relative cost to benefit would be high.
Three decades of coral reef community dynamics in St. John, USVI: a contrast of scleractinians and octocorals
Authors: Tsounis Georgios , Edmunds Peter J.
Published: January 2017

To better understand phase shifts on Caribbean reefs, we quantified community structure on shallow reefs over 27 yr in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, contrasted the community dynamics of scleractinians and octocorals, and evaluated the extent to which community structure was associated with rainfall, temperature, and hurricanes. To gain insight into the likely abundance of octocorals on future reefs with low scleractinian cover, we compared two sites dominated by the major Caribbean reef‐building coral Orbicella annularis. Between 1987 and 2013, scleractinian cover declined from 45% to 6% at Yawzi Point, but remained at ~30% at Tektite. We compared changes in community structure using four benthic assemblage constructs—“scleractinian‐focused” (cover of scleractinians, macroalgae, and CTB i.e. crustose coralline algae, algal turf, and bare space), “octocoral‐focused” (abundance of octocorals, cover of macroalgae, and CTB), “octocoral genera” (abundance by genus), and a “complete” approach (all taxa)—to reveal how a consideration of octocoral abundance influenced the interpretation of coral reef community dynamics. Overall, temporal variation in community structure differed among the four assemblage constructs at both sites and was associated with rainfall and mean seawater temperature. These results suggest that: (1) scleractinian‐ and octocoral‐focused communities in the same location responded differentially to the same environmental conditions, (2) their communities generally were influenced more by the chronic effects of rainfall and temperature than acute effects of storms, and (3) octocoral‐focused communities were more resilient to environmental conditions than scleractinian‐focused communities. With further declines in cover of scleractinians, octocoral communities are likely to become more common throughout the Caribbean.
Disentangling the contributions of dispersal limitation, ecological drift, and ecological filtering to wild bee community assembly
Authors: Sydenham Markus A. K. , Moe Stein R. , Kuhlmann Michael , Potts Simon G. , Roberts Stuart P. M. , Totland Ørjan , Eldegard Katrine
Published: January 2017

The species composition within communities is highly dependent on the rate of species immigration and whether immigrating species possess the functional traits required by the prevailing environmental conditions. Once established, random fluctuations in birth and death rates may reduce the diversity of ecologically equivalent species if local populations are not replenished by immigrating individuals. Consequently, three key processes drive community assembly: dispersal limitation, ecological filtering, and ecological drift. However, disentangling the relative contribution of these processes remains a challenge in community ecology. We used a binomial generalized linear mixed model to test whether the occurrences of solitary bees within 46 communities in southeast Norway were driven by (1) dispersal limitation, that is, the geographic distance to the nearest site where conspecifics occurred; (2) ecological filtering, that is, if forb species richness selected for non‐Ericaceae‐affiliated species; and (3) ecological drift, that is, if small, isolated communities were dominated by regionally common species. The regression slopes from the model for each potential driver of community composition were compared with those expected under a null model, in which species were treated as ecologically equivalent. Both dispersal limitation and ecological filtering influenced the probability of species occurring within communities. The occurrence of species decreased with elevation, and this relationship depended on the relative commonness of species and their floral preferences. For non‐Ericaceae‐affiliated species, the patterns of occurrence mirrored that expected under the null (neutral) model, resulting in the same patterns as would be expected under ecological drift. In contrast, the response of Ericaceae‐affiliated species differed from what would be expected from the null model. Our results also indicate that processes leading to neutral dynamics in species compositions drive a large part of the gradient in species richness in Norwegian bee communities. These processes seem related to sampling effects so that large and interconnected communities have a higher probability of including regionally rare species than small, isolated communities. Our results suggest that targeting habitats—where the influence of ecological filtering is expected to be greater than that of neutral dynamics—can increase the success of habitat management plans aimed at promoting rare species.
Multi‐state, multi‐stage modeling of nest‐success suggests interaction between weather and land‐use
Authors: Miller Mark W. , Leech David I. , Pearce‐Higgins James W. , Robinson Robert A.
Published: January 2017

Many factors may affect daily nest survival. We present a novel multi‐state, multi‐stage model to estimate daily survival for each nest stage, daily hatching probability and probability that a failed nest died during a specific stage when stage of failure is unknown. The model does not require that hatching date be known. We used data from a large citizen science dataset to demonstrate the application of this approach, exploring the impact of laying dates, weather conditions, conserved soil moisture, soil carbon, habitat type and urbanization on failure rates of common blackbird (Turdus merula) nests. Models selected and estimates of nest success were similar to those of the simpler logistic exposure method, but accounted for additional uncertainty. Simulations suggest the multi‐state approach performs better when incubation mortality is affected by nest age, but not when incubation mortality is assumed constant. Both approaches worked best when date of incubation initiation was known for all nests first visited during the incubation stage. Daily blackbird survival probabilities were higher in human rural habitat than in urban or countryside habitats supporting the hypothesis that these intermediate habitats offer a better balance between low food availability in urban areas and high predation rates in the wider countryside. Nest success was influenced more by recent precipitation in urban habitats, but by a longer‐term measure of water availability, soil moisture, in non‐human dominated habitats, indicating that climatic change is likely to alter relationships between habitat and breeding success (and their temporal scale) by influencing the trade‐off between food availability and predation rates. The multi‐state, multi‐stage model developed here may be helpful to other researchers modelling ecological processes in which transition probabilities between multiple stages are of interest.
Phylogenetic occupancy models integrate imperfect detection and phylogenetic signal to analyze community structure
Authors: Frishkoff Luke O. , de Valpine Perry , M'Gonigle Leithen K.
Published: January 2017

Biological communities are structured phylogenetically—closely related species are typically more likely to be found at the same sites. This may be, in part, because they respond similarly to environmental gradients. Accurately surveying biological communities is, however, made difficult by the fact that detection of species is not perfect. In recent years, numerous statistical methods have been developed that aim to overcome deficiencies in the species detection process. However, these methods do not allow investigators to assess phylogenetic community structure. Here, we introduce the phylogenetic occupancy model (POM), which accounts for imperfect species detection while assessing phylogenetic patterns in community structure. Using simulated data sets we show that the POM grants less biased estimates of phylogenetic structure than models without imperfect detection, and can correctly ascertain the effects of species traits on community composition while accounting for evolutionary non‐independence of taxa. Integrating phylogenetic methods into widely used occupancy models will help clarify how evolutionary history influences modern day communities.
Herbivores sculpt leaf traits differently in grasslands depending on life form and land‐use histories
Authors: Firn Jennifer , Schütz Martin , Nguyen Huong , Risch Anita C.
Published: January 2017

Vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores alter plant communities directly by selectively consuming plant species; and indirectly by inducing morphological and physiological changes to plant traits that provide competitive or survivorship advantages to some life forms over others. Progressively excluding aboveground herbivore communities (ungulates, medium and small sized mammals, invertebrates) over five growing seasons, we explored how leaf morphology (specific leaf area or SLA) and nutrition (nitrogen, carbon, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, and calcium) of different plant life forms (forbs, legumes, grasses, sedges) correlated with their dominance. We experimented in two subalpine grassland types with different land‐use histories: (1) heavily grazed, nutrient‐rich, short‐grass vegetation and (2) lightly grazed, lower nutrient tall‐grass vegetation. We found differences in leaf traits between treatments where either all herbivores were excluded or all herbivores were present, showing the importance of considering the impacts of both vertebrates and invertebrates on the leaf traits of plant species. Life forms responses to the progressive exclusion of herbivores were captured by six possible combinations: (1) increased leaf size and resource use efficiency (leaf area/nutrients) where lower nutrient levels are invested in leaf construction, but a reduction in the number of leaves, for example, forbs in both vegetation types, (2) increased leaf size and resource use efficiency, for example, legumes in short grass, (3) increased leaf size but a reduction in the number of leaves, for example, legumes in the tall grass, (4) increased number of leaves produced and increased resource use efficiency, for example, grasses in the short grass, (5) increased resource use efficiency of leaves only, for example, grasses and sedges in the tall grass, and (6) no response in terms of leaf construction or dominance, for example, sedges in the short grass. Although we found multiple possible responses by life forms to progressive exclusion of herbivores, we also found some important generalities. Changes in leaf traits of legumes and grasses correlated with their increasing dominance in the short‐grass vegetation and plants were more efficient at constructing photosynthetic tissue when herbivores are present with few exceptions. These results demonstrate that vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores are essential to maintain plant species richness and resource‐use efficiency.
Present Situation of Fukushima and Possibility of Decontamination Technology by Superconducting Magnetic Separation System
Authors: NISHIJIMA SHIGEHIRO , AKIYAMA YOKO
Published: January 2017

A large amount of radionuclides were spread by the accident of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011. The situation of surrounding area of nuclear power plant is momentarily changing. In order to consider for decontamination or volume reduction of radioactive wastes, it is necessary taking into account not only the technical needs but also feelings of inhabitants, reduction of environmental load, reduction of the radiation exposure on workers, and efficiency and cost of decontamination work. In this paper, the application possibility of superconducting magnetic separation system for decontamination and volume reduction was discussed compared with other technologies from above multidirectional viewpoint.
Safety, feasibility and effectiveness of first in‐human administration of muscle‐derived stem/progenitor cells modified with connexin‐43 gene for treatment of advanced chronic heart failure
Authors: Gwizdala Adrian , Rozwadowska Natalia , Kolanowski Tomasz Jan , Malcher Agnieszka , Cieplucha Aleksandra , Perek Bartlomiej , Seniuk Wojciech , Straburzynska‐Migaj Ewa , Oko‐Sarnowska Zofia , Cholewinski Witold , Michalak Michal , Grajek Stefan , Kurpisz Maciej
Published: January 2017

Aims

To assess the safety and efficacy of transendocardial delivery of muscle‐derived stem/progenitor cells with connexin‐43 overexpression (Cx‐43‐MDS/PC) in advanced heart failure (HF).

Methods and results

Thirteen subjects with advanced HF, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II–III were enrolled and treated with targeted injection of Cx‐43‐MDS/PCs and then monitored for at least 6 months. Overexpression of Cx43 (Cx43+) was significantly higher in all but one subject (Cx43–). Injection of MDS/PCs was associated with significant improvement of exercise capacity: NYHA (3 ± 0 vs. 1.8 ± 0.7, P = 0.003), exercise duration (388.69 ± 141.83 s vs. 462.08 ± 176.69 s, P = 0.025), peak oxygen consumption (14.38 ± 3.97 vs. 15.83 ± 3.74 ml/kg.min, P = 0.022) and oxygen pulse (10.58 ± 2.89 vs. 18.88 ± 22.63 mLO2/heart rate, P = 0.012). Levels of BNP, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction and LV end‐diastolic volumes tended to improve. There was a significant improvement of the mean unipolar voltage amplitudes measured for the injected segments and the entire left ventricle (9.62 ± 2.64 vs. 11.62 ± 3.50 mV, P = 0.014 and 8.83 ± 2.80 vs. 10.22 ± 3.41 mV, P = 0.041, respectively). No deaths were documented, Cx43+ (n = 12) subjects presented no significant ventricular arrhythmia; one Cx43– subject suffered from ventricular tachycardia (successfully treated with amiodarone).

Conclusions

Injection of Cx‐43‐MDS/PCs in patients with severe HF led to significant improvement in exercise capacity and myocardial viability of the injected segments while inducing no significant ventricular arrhythmia. This may arise from improved electrical coupling of the injected cells and injured myocardium and thus better in‐situ mechanical cooperation of both cell types. Therefore, further clinical studies with Cx43+ MDS/PCs are warranted.
Study of Pyrotechnic Blue Strobe Compositions Based on Ammonium Perchlorate and Tetramethylammonium Nitrate
Authors: Juknelevicius Dominykas , Dufter Alicia , Rusan Magdalena , Klapötke Thomas M. , Ramanavicius Arunas
Published: January 2017

Pyrotechnic strobes, both colorless and colorful, are compositions that burn in an oscillatory manner. They are used in military illumination devices and in fireworks as one of the most attractive pyrotechnic effects. Most colored strobes contain magnesium (Mg) or magnesium–aluminum (MgAl) alloy as a fuel. However, this is an issue for blue strobes since the choice of stable blue‐flame emitters is extremely limited. In fact, copper halides have been observed to produce blue emissions in pyrotechnic flames exclusively at temperatures ranging from 1200 to 1500 °C. At higher temperatures, the emitter is destroyed, or more specifically, a preferred trimer Cu3Cl3 species is converted into monomers. As a result, the flame color fades and a whitish‐blue flame is observed. Therefore, it was interesting to see whether blue pyrotechnic strobes can be made without using conventional high‐temperature fuels, such as Mg or Al, in order to conserve a deep flame color. The formulation called the Jennings‐White blue strobe No. 5 [55 % ammonium perchlorate (AP), 30 % tetramethylammonium nitrate (TMAN), and 15 % copper] is considered the top‐of‐the‐line formulation, which is described as being capable of producing an intense blue strobe. However, its mechanism is not well‐understood, and the formulation is not chemically compatible. This paper presents research focused on improving the blue strobe formulation by Jennings‐White.
DPPH radical scavenging and mixture effects of plant o‐diphenols and essential oil constituents
Authors: Tsimogiannis Dimitrios , Bimpilas Andreas , Oreopoulou Vassiliki
Published: January 2017

A series of natural compounds were examined for potential synergistic and antagonistic antiradical activities. Four natural o‐diphenolic compounds, namely quercetin, rutin, (+)‐catechin, and rosmarinic acid as well as five common essential oil components: thymol, carvacrol, thymoquinone, p‐cymene, and γ‐terpinene were studied individually and in binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures against DPPH•. The antiradical activities of the individual compounds were quantified according to the number of radicals scavenged per molecule of antioxidant and the EC50 parameter. Also, the different reaction patterns resulting to different stoichiometries are discussed. In binary and higher systems an additive effect was observed with any combination of the o‐diphenols. The monoterpenoid phenols carvacrol and thymol presented low DPPH radical scavenging activity and antagonistic interactions with the o‐diphenols, partially attributed to equilibrium phenomena. The rest essential oil components were inactive and did not interfere in the overall antiradical activity of any combination.

Practical applications: Plant extracts can be used as antioxidants for lipid foods or combined with essential oils that provide antimicrobial protection. They contain a variety of active compounds, which might interact and affect the overall antioxidant activity. The present work examines the radical scavenging activity of the basic constituents of extracts, essential oils, and their mixtures. The results could have an impact on the production of natural antioxidants, since a cost effective industrial process involves the recovery of a multicomponent fraction rather than the isolation of single antioxidants. Also, they can be useful to estimate the antiradical activity of multicomponent herbal supplements.

The antiradical activities of o‐diphenols commonly found in natural extracts (quercetin, rutin, (+)‐catechin, and rosmarinic acid) and essential oil components (thymol, carvacrol, thymoquinone, p‐cymene, and γ‐terpinene) were studied individually and in binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures. An additive effect was observed with any combination of the o‐diphenols. Among the essential oil components, the monoterpenoid phenols carvacrol and thymol presented low DPPH radical scavenging activity and antagonistic interactions with the o‐diphenols partially attributed to equilibrium phenomena, while the rest were inactive and did not interfere in the overall antiradical activity of any combination.
Second‐Generation Tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine–Zinc Complexes as Probes for Enantiomeric Excess Determination of Amino Acids
Authors: Scaramuzzo Francesca A. , Badetti Elena , Licini Giulia , Zonta Cristiano
Published: January 2017

Self‐assembly through imine condensation chemistry in combination with metal coordination is becoming one of the leading strategies for the preparation of stereodynamic probes for the determination of enantiomeric excess. Recently, we reported a novel molecular architecture based on a modified tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine–zinc(II) complex [TPMA = tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine] that is able to function as an optical probe for the determination of the enantiomeric excess of amino acids. Herein, we report on how a slight modification of the TPMA ligand enhances both the dichroic response and the stability of the system. The novel probe provides a much higher dichroic signal compared with the previously reported system.
Mixing Chromophores: Donor–Acceptor Dyes with Low‐Lying LUMOs and Narrow Band Gaps by Connecting 4‐Alkoxythiazoles and Azaacenes
Authors: Gampe Dominique Mario , Hänsch Veit Georg , Schramm Stefan , Menzel Roberto , Weiß Dieter , Beckert Rainer
Published: January 2017

The synthesis and characterization of novel donor–acceptor (D–A) type functional dyes is presented. The materials studied are based on the 4‐alkoxythiazole structure containing one of three arylamine donor units and one of three acceptor building blocks. The nine dyes were characterized with respect to their photo‐ and electrochemical properties based on UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy, as well as cyclic voltammetry. Density functional theory calculations were carried out to support these investigations. The building blocks used brought their characteristics into the final target structures: the reversible oxidation and electron‐donating properties of diarylamines, the high fluorescence quantum yields of 4‐alkoxythiazoles, and the low‐lying LUMOs of tetraazaanthracenes. Furthermore, by introducing tetraazaanthracenes as the acceptor moiety, very narrow band gaps of 1.1 and 0.7 eV were estimated electrochemically.
Titania Nanotubes Decorated with Zn‐Doped Titania Nanoparticles as the Photoanode Electrode of Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Mokarami Ghartavol H. , Afshar A. , Mohammadi M. R. , Chau‐Nan Hong F. , Jeng Yeau‐Ren
Published: January 2017

We decorated Zn‐doped TiO2‐nanoparticle‐based photoanodes with carbon nanotube (CNT)‐derived TiO2 nanotubes (TNs) to enhance the power conversion efficiency of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSCs). X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis verified that Zn ions, in the range of 0 to 1 at %, were successfully doped into the TiO2 lattice. Field‐emission SEM and TEM images of the TNs, as derived from the sol–gel template‐assisted route, revealed that a uniform TiO2 coating with a thickness of 60 to 120 nm was deposited on the surface of the CNT template through a noncovalent route. We observed that the cell efficiency improved from 6.80 for pure TiO2 to 7.52 for 0.75 at % Zn‐doped TiO2 nanoparticles due to a reduction in charge recombination and enhancement in electron injection, as confirmed by using photoluminescence spectroscopy. Further improvements in the efficiency of up to 8.47 % were achieved by the incorporation of 5 wt % TNs into the Zn‐doped TiO2 photoanodes, as a result of enhancements in electron transport and light scattering, which was verified by using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.
Evaluating carbon storage on subalpine lake deltas
Authors: Scott Daniel N. , Wohl Ellen E.
Published: January 2017

Mountainous regions are important contributors to the terrestrial organic carbon (OC) sink that affect global climate through the regulation of carbon‐based greenhouse gases. However, mountain OC dynamics are poorly quantified. We quantified OC storage in subalpine lake deltas in the Washington Central Cascades and Colorado Front Range with the objectives of determining the magnitude of transient carbon storage and understanding the differences in storage between the two ranges. We used field, laboratory, and GIS techniques to determine the magnitude of and controls on the subalpine lake delta OC pool in 26 subalpine lake deltas. Soil moisture, soil texture, mean basin slope, and delta valley confinement are significantly correlated with soil carbon on deltas. Average soil OC concentration on subalpine lake deltas ranges from 3 to 41%, and stocks range from 140 to 1256 Mg C/ha. Surprisingly, the carbon content of subalpine lake deltas is not significantly different between the two regions, despite stark contrasts in their climate, vegetation, and total ecosystem carbon stocks. We present a conceptual model that invokes geomorphic and biogeochemical processes to suggest that carbon is more likely to reach subalpine lake deltas from the upstream basin in the Colorado Front Range compared with the Washington Central Cascades, thus accounting for the similarity in OC storage between the two regions despite differences in total ecosystem carbon stocks and climate. This points to a complex interaction among carbon production, transport, and stability in each region, and supports the idea that geomorphic and biogeochemical processes determine the magnitude of transient OC storage more strongly than primary productivity or climate. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Uptake and elimination kinetics of the biocide triclosan and the synthetic musks galaxolide and tonalide in the earthworm Dendrobaena veneta when exposed to sewage sludge
Authors: Havranek Ivo , Coutris Claire , Norli Hans Ragnar , Rivier Pierre-Adrien , Joner Erik J.
Published: January 2017

Sewage sludge is an important amendment that enriches soils with organic matter and provides plants with nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. However, knowledge on the fate and effects of organic pollutants present in the sludge on soil organisms is limited. In the present study, the uptake of triclosan, galaxolide, and tonalide in the earthworm Dendrobaena veneta was measured 1 wk after amendment of agricultural soil with sewage sludge, while elimination kinetics were assessed over a 21-d period after transferring worms to clean soil. After 1-wk exposure, earthworms had accumulated 2.6 ± 0.6 μg g−1 galaxolide, 0.04 ± 0.02 μg g−1 tonalide, and 0.6 ± 0.2 μg g−1 triclosan. Both synthetic musks were efficiently excreted and below the limit of quantification after 3 and 14 d of depuration for tonalide and galaxolide, respectively. Triclosan concentrations, on the other hand, did not decrease significantly over the depuration period, which may lead to the transfer of triclosan in the food web. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2068–2073. © 2017 SETAC
Link‐layer security in TSCH networks: effect on slot duration
Authors: Sciancalepore Savio , Vučinić Mališa , Piro Giuseppe , Boggia Gennaro , Watteyne Thomas
Published: January 2017

The IEEE802.15.4e‐2012 standard is widely used in multi‐hop wireless industrial Internet of things applications. In the time‐slotted channel hopping mode, nodes are synchronised, and time is cut into timeslots. A schedule orchestrates all communications, resulting in high reliability and low power operations. A timeslot must be long enough for a node to send a data frame to its neighbour, and for that neighbour to send back an acknowledgement. Shorter timeslots enable higher bandwidth and lower latency, yet the minimal timeslot duration is limited by how long link‐layer security operations take. We evaluate the overhead of link‐layer security in time‐slotted channel hopping networks in terms of minimal timeslot length, memory footprint and energy consumption. We implement full link‐layer security on a range of hardware platforms, exploring different hardware/software implementation strategies. Through an extensive measurement campaign, we quantify the advantage of hardware accelerations for link‐layer security and show how the minimal duration of a timeslot varies between 9 and 88ms for the most common configuration, depending on hardware support. Furthermore, we also highlighted the impact that the timeslot duration has on both high‐level application design and energy consumption. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Data, disease and diplomacy: GISAID's innovative contribution to global health
Authors: Elbe Stefan , Buckland‐Merrett Gemma
Published: January 2017

The international sharing of virus data is critical for protecting populations against lethal infectious disease outbreaks. Scientists must rapidly share information to assess the nature of the threat and develop new medical countermeasures. Governments need the data to trace the extent of the outbreak, initiate public health responses, and coordinate access to medicines and vaccines. Recent outbreaks suggest, however, that the sharing of such data cannot be taken for granted – making the timely international exchange of virus data a vital global challenge. This article undertakes the first analysis of the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data as an innovative policy effort to promote the international sharing of genetic and associated influenza virus data. Based on more than 20 semi‐structured interviews conducted with key informants in the international community, coupled with analysis of a wide range of primary and secondary sources, the article finds that the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data contributes to global health in at least five ways: (1) collating the most complete repository of high‐quality influenza data in the world; (2) facilitating the rapid sharing of potentially pandemic virus information during recent outbreaks; (3) supporting the World Health Organization's biannual seasonal flu vaccine strain selection process; (4) developing informal mechanisms for conflict resolution around the sharing of virus data; and (5) building greater trust with several countries key to global pandemic preparedness.
Global health governance in the sustainable development goals: Is it grounded in the right to health?
Authors: Van de Pas Remco , Hill Peter S. , Hammonds Rachel , Ooms Gorik , Forman Lisa , Waris Attiya , Brolan Claire E. , McKee Martin , Sridhar Devi
Published: January 2017

This paper explores the extent to which global health governance – in the context of the early implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals is grounded in the right to health. The essential components of the right to health in relation to global health are unpacked. Four essential functions of the global health system are assessed from a normative, rights‐based, analysis on how each of these governance functions should operate. These essential functions are: the production of global public goods, the management of externalities across countries, the mobilization of global solidarity, and stewardship. The paper maps the current reality of global health governance now that the post‐2015 Sustainable Development Goals are beginning to be implemented. In theory, the existing human rights legislation would enable the principles and basis for the global governance of health beyond the premise of the state. In practice, there is a governance gap between the human rights framework and practices in global health and development policies. This gap can be explained by the political determinants of health that shape the governance of these global policies. Current representations of the right to health in the Sustainable Development Goals are insufficient and superficial, because they do not explicitly link commitments or right to health discourse to binding treaty obligations for duty‐bearing nation states or entitlements by people. If global health policy is to meaningfully contribute to the realization of the right to health and to rights based global health governance then future iterations of global health policy must bridge this gap. This includes scholarship and policy debate on the structure, politics, and agency to overcome existing global health injustices.
Bioethics in the law
Authors: Shapiro Zachary E.
Published: January 2017

The role of law in bioethics is clear. Laws are enforcement tools: they govern which conditions qualify an individual for disability benefits, or what oversight is necessary for clinical trial protocols, or how patent applications for medical devices should be regulated. I initially studied the law in order to enhance my work in bioethics, but in examining how the law works, I have become convinced that the converse opportunity also exists: there are many areas of law that would benefit from greater input from those in the bioethics community.