bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinction in binding of peptides (P2E) and its mutations (P2G, P2Q) to a graphene sheet via a hierarchical coarse-grained Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Pandey R. B. , Farmer B. L.
Published: October 2013

A hierarchical coarse-grained approach is used to study the binding of peptides (P2E: 1E2P3L4Q5L6K7M) and variants (P2G: 1G2P3L4Q5L6K7M and P2Q: 1Q2L3P4M5E6K7L) with a graphene sheet. Simulation-based residue-substrate and hydropathy index-based residue-residue interaction is used as input to a phenomenological interaction potential for peptide chains to execute the stochastic motion with a graphene sheet at the center of a box. Large-scale Monte Carlo simulations are performed at a range (low to high) of temperatures to identify peptides binding with the graphene sheet with a constant peptide concentration (Cp = 0.01). A number of local (energy, mobility, and substrate contact profiles) and global (density profiles, mean square displacement of the center of mass of a peptide and its radius of gyration) physical quantities are examined to monitor the patterns. We find that each peptide can bind to a graphene sheet at low temperatures but the residues that can anchor their binding vary among these three peptides. For example, P2E is anchored by 1E, 4Q, and 6K, P2Q by 1Q, 5E, and 6K, and P2G by nearly all its residues with about the same strength except 1G and 2P. The site-specific binding is reflected in the thermal response of the radius of gyration of the peptides. Despite the lack of a large difference in binding patterns, a systematic variation in radius of gyration and surface binding profile with the temperature reveals the distinction in their binding: the probability of P2E binding is the highest and that of P2G is the lowest.
Toward robust phase-locking in Melibe swim central pattern generator models
Authors: Jalil Sajiya , Allen Dane , Youker Joseph , Shilnikov Andrey
Published: October 2013

Small groups of interneurons, abbreviated by CPG for central pattern generators, are arranged into neural networks to generate a variety of core bursting rhythms with specific phase-locked states, on distinct time scales, which govern vital motor behaviors in invertebrates such as chewing and swimming. These movements in lower level animals mimic motions of organs in higher animals due to evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. Hence, various neurological diseases can be linked to abnormal movement of body parts that are regulated by a malfunctioning CPG. In this paper, we, being inspired by recent experimental studies of neuronal activity patterns recorded from a swimming motion CPG of the sea slug Melibe leonina, examine a mathematical model of a 4-cell network that can plausibly and stably underlie the observed bursting rhythm. We develop a dynamical systems framework for explaining the existence and robustness of phase-locked states in activity patterns produced by the modeled CPGs. The proposed tools can be used for identifying core components for other CPG networks with reliable bursting outcomes and specific phase relationships between the interneurons. Our findings can be employed for identifying or implementing the conditions for normal and pathological functioning of basic CPGs of animals and artificially intelligent prosthetics that can regulate various movements.
Strain effects on ensemble populations in AuPd/Pd(100) surface alloys
Authors: Stephens J. Adam , Hwang Gyeong S.
Published: October 2013

The effects of applied strain on the arrangement of atoms in AuPd/Pd(100) surface alloys are studied using Monte Carlo simulations and cluster expansion Hamiltonians. The strain effects are found to be significant, with heteronuclear (Au-Pd) interactions more strongly enhanced by biaxial compression than homonuclear (Pd-Pd) ones. In particular, compressive strain causes an increase in the population of Pd monomers and second nearest-neighbor pairs of Pd monomers, both of which have been identified previously as important ensembles for various catalytic reactions. We also discuss the origin of these effects using density functional theory calculations of the surface electronic structure of strained AuPd/Pd(100).Our findings may suggest an additional means of employing strain to tune the catalytic properties of surface alloys.
Phonon-induced pure-dephasing of luminescence, multiple exciton generation, and fission in silicon clusters
Authors: Liu Jin , Neukirch Amanda J. , Prezhdo Oleg V.
Published: October 2013

The size and temperature dependence of the pure-dephasing processes involved in luminescence, multiple exciton generation (MEG), and multiple exciton fission (MEF) are investigated for Sin clusters (n = 5–10, 15) using ab initio molecular dynamics and optical response function theory. The cluster bandgaps correlate with two types of binding energy, indicating that bandgaps can be used to characterize cluster stability. Ranging from 5 to 100 fs, the dephasing times are found to be longest for MEF and shortest for MEG, with luminescence falling in the middle range. Generally, the dephasing is fast, if the orbitals supporting the pair of states involved in the superpositions differ in energy, atomic localization, and number of nodes. The dephasing accelerates with temperature, because more phonon modes are activated, and lower frequency acoustic modes are able to explore the anhamonic part of the potential energy surface. The temperature dependence is stronger for larger clusters, since they possess a wider range of low-frequency anharmonic modes. Our research indicates that rapid dephasing in Si clusters favors generation of independent charge carriers from single and multiple excitons, making the clusters a promising material for photon energy conversion. The simulations of the dephasing processes reported in this work assist in understanding of the exciton evolution pathways in inorganic semiconductor clusters and other nanoscale materials.
A spectral problem based on so$(3,\mathbb {R})$(3,R) and its associated commuting soliton equations
Authors: Ma Wen-Xiu
Published: October 2013

We present a spectral problem, based on the three-dimensional real special orthogonal Lie algebra $\textrm {so}(3,\mathbb {R})$ so (3,R), and construct a hierarchy of commuting bi-Hamiltonian soliton equations by zero curvature equations associated with the spectral problem. An illustrative example of soliton equations is computed, together with its associated bi-Hamiltonian structure.
Two-zone heterogeneous structure within shear bands of a bulk metallic glass
Authors: Shao Yang , Yao Kefu , Li Mo , Liu Xue
Published: October 2013

Shear bands, the main plastic strain carrier in metallic glasses, are severely deformed regions often considered as disordered and featureless. Here we report the observations of a sandwich-like heterogeneous structure inside shear bands in Pd40.5Ni40.5P19 metallic glass sample after plastic deformation by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The experimental results suggest a two-step plastic deformation mechanism with corresponding microstructure evolution at atomic scale, which may intimately connected to the stability of the shear band propagation and the overall plastic deformability.
An all-silicon optical platform based on linear array of vertical high-aspect-ratio silicon/air photonic crystals
Authors: Surdo Salvatore , Carpignano Francesca , Silva Gloria , Merlo Sabina , Barillaro Giuseppe
Published: October 2013

An all-silicon optical platform (SiOP) that integrates a linear array of vertical (100-μm–deep) one-dimensional photonic crystals (1D-PhCs), with a different number of elementary silicon/air cells (from 2.5 to 11.5) and featuring a transmission peak around 1.55 μm, together with U-grooves (125-μm-wide) and end-stop-spacers for coupling/positioning/alignment of readout optical fibers in front of 1D-PhCs is reported. The SiOP is fabricated by electrochemical micromachining and characterized by measuring both reflection and transmission spectra of 1D-PhCs. An experimental/theoretical analysis of 1D-PhC features (transmissivity, quality factor, full-width-half-maximum) in transmission, around 1.55 μm, as a function of the number of elementary cells is reported.
Modeling the relaxation time of DNA confined in a nanochannel
Authors: Tree Douglas R. , Wang Yanwei , Dorfman Kevin D.
Published: October 2013

Using a mapping between a Rouse dumbbell model and fine-grained Monte Carlo simulations, we have computed the relaxation time of λ-DNA in a high ionic strength buffer confined in a nanochannel. The relaxation time thus obtained agrees quantitatively with experimental data [Reisner et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 196101 (2005)] using only a single O(1) fitting parameter to account for the uncertainty in model parameters. In addition to validating our mapping, this agreement supports our previous estimates of the friction coefficient of DNA confined in a nanochannel [Tree et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 228105 (2012)], which have been difficult to validate due to the lack of direct experimental data. Furthermore, the model calculation shows that as the channel size passes below approximately 100 nm (or roughly the Kuhn length of DNA) there is a dramatic drop in the relaxation time. Inasmuch as the chain friction rises with decreasing channel size, the reduction in the relaxation time can be solely attributed to the sharp decline in the fluctuations of the chain extension. Practically, the low variance in the observed DNA extension in such small channels has important implications for genome mapping.
Effect of perch type and stocking density on the behaviour and growth of broilers
Authors: Hongchao Jiao , Jiang Yongbin , Song Zhigang , Zhao Jingpeng , Wang Xiaojuan , Lin Hai
Published: October 2013

Perching is a natural behaviour of wild and domesticated fowl. Perch availability has been used to improve the welfare of laying hens. However, the effect of perch availability on broiler rearing systems remains unclear. The present study investigated the effect of the interaction between perch availability and stocking density on the performance, behaviour, and health characteristics of broiler chickens. The behaviour, live performance, incidence of footpad and hock burn, lameness, and feather condition of the birds were investigated over a 5-week experimental period. One-day-old chicks (n = 1152) were subjected to a two (perches) × three (stocking densities) factorial design. The perch treatment provided housing either with or without perches. The three stocking densities were 12 (low stocking density, LSD), 16 (medium stocking density, MSD), or 20 (high stocking density, HSD) birds/m2 and corresponded to 48, 64, and 80 birds per pen beginning at 1 day of age. The perches consisted of a wooden perch and a PVC perch (which included a horizontal section and a sloped (13°) section). In pens with perches, the perch design provided 580 cm of linear perching space per pen. The results showed that the LSD chickens had a higher (4.0%, P < 0.05) feed intake than the MSD and HSD chickens. Perch use by broilers was low but increased with age and peaked at 5 weeks of age (7.4%). Stocking density affected perch use, as the MSD chickens perched more frequently on both the PVC (2.4%, P = 0.01) and wood perches (3.7%, P < 0.05) than the LSD (PVC perch, 1.8%; wood perch, 3.3%) and HSD groups (PVC perch, 1.9%; wood perch, 2.5%). Perch availability affected behavioural patterns by increasing eating (P < 0.05) and sitting (P < 0.001) and decreasing walking (P < 0.001). Perch availability tended to prevent the development of footpad burn (P = 0.053) but had no detectable effect (P > 0.05) on the gait score or the development of hock burn. These results suggest that perches have a limited effect on the performance, behaviour, and welfare of broilers stocked at high densities. However, the effect of the interaction of perch × age on feed intake (P < 0.05), bodyweight gain (P < 0.05), and behaviour (eating and walking), the effect of the interaction of density × age on wood perch use (P < 0.05), and the effect of the interaction of perch × density × age on sitting behaviour (P < 0.01) indicated that perches have different effects on broilers of different ages stocked at different densities.
Electronic Spectroscopy of a C7H4+ Isomer in a Neon Matrix: Methyltriacetylene Cation
Authors: Chakraborty Arghya , Fulara Jan , Maier John P.
Published: October 2013

Absorptions commencing at 602.6 nm are detected following deposition of mass-selected C7H4+ in a 6 K neon matrix produced from a 1 : 1 mixture of diacetylene and propyne in an ion source. The 602.6 nm system, and a weaker one near 421.1 nm, are assigned to the A 2E ← X 2E and B 2E ← X 2E electronic transitions of methyltriacetylene cation (C3V symmetry), based on mass-selection, spectroscopic analysis of the vibrational structure, and the excitation energies calculated with CASPT2. Structured fluorescence is detected in the 600–760 nm range upon laser excitation at wavelengths of the CH3C6H+ absorptions. The vibrational bands observed in the absorption and fluorescence spectra are assigned with the aid of calculated frequencies of the totally symmetric (a1) vibrations of methyltriacetylene cation.
Are the basal cells of the mammalian epididymis still an enigma?
Authors: Arrighi S.
Published: October 2013

Basal cells are present in the columnar pseudostratified epithelium covering the epididymis of all mammalian species, which regulates the microenvironment where the functionally incompetent germ cells produced by the testis are matured and stored. Striking novelties have come from investigations on epididymal basal cells in the past 30–40 years. In addition to an earlier hypothesised scavenger role for basal cells, linked to their proven extratubular origin and the expression of macrophage antigens, basal cells have been shown to be involved in cell–cell cross-talk, as well as functioning as luminal sensors to regulate the activity of principal and clear cells. Involvement of basal cells in the regulation of electrolyte and water transport by principal cells was hypothesised. This control is suggested to be mediated by the local formation of prostaglandins. Members of the aquaporin (AQP) and/or aquaglyceroporin family (AQP3, AQP7 and AQP8) are also specifically expressed in the rat epididymal basal cells. Transport of glycerol and glycerylphosphorylcholine from the epithelium of the epididymis to the lumen in relation to sperm maturation may be mediated by AQP. Most probably basal cells collaborate to the building up of the blood–epididymis barrier through cell adhesion molecules, implying an involvement in immune control exerted towards sperm cells, which are foreigners in the environment in which they were produced.
Models of the family, women’s role and social policy
Authors: Hakim Catherine
Published: October 2013

Is Europe converging on a single dominant model of the family and Women’s role which provides the basis for convergence on a single set of social policies? This paper concludes that the European Commission is wrong to expect a single dominant trend. On the contrary, recent research shows that three quite different, even conflicting, models of the family, and of women’s role, continue to attract roughly equal support across the European Union as a whole, and within all EU countries. Two revolutions have occurred: the contraceptive revolution and the equal opportunities revolution, which have given women genuine choices for the first time in history. In the new scenario, women make divergent choices, producing at least three family models. In the future, social policy and employment policy need to recognize, and support, all three models of the family and of women’s role. This makes EU policy-making more difficult, and sheds new light on national differences.
Ethnicity, multiculturalism and the problem of culture
Authors: Ålund Aleksandra
Published: October 2013

This article discusses the complex meaning of ethnicity and identity in the multicultural society of today with reference to Swedish society. Sweden, a pronouncedly multiethnic society, is today undergoing division along ethnic lines. Social inequalities tend to be understood in terms of cultural difference. This development seems to be characteristic of most European countries. Culture is usually connected with ethnicity and race and understood as pure, as an ‘essence’, as related to some original and eternal ethnic core. In this way important aspects of cultural dynamic in multicultural society are left unobserved. What is usually not recognized are cultural crossings and the emergence of composite identities. Within the framework of multicultural society new cultures, identities and ethnicities are created. Departing from some general features of the dominant discourse on ethnicity, its historical roots and its relations to culture and multicutturalism, I discuss problems of cultural essentialism.
Unemployment and social exclusion in the European Union
Authors: Gallie Duncan
Published: October 2013

This paper examines the argument that unemployment leads to higher levels of social isolation, which in turn reinforces long-term marginalization from the labour market by reducing financial resources and increasing psychological distress. It examines social isolation both in terms of people’s position in the household and the nature and quality of their social networks. It considers whether the link between unemployment and social isolation is of a general type or is mediated by societal variations in patterns of household structure and sociability. It argues that while the evidence is consistent with the view that social isolation among unemployed people does reinforce other types of disadvantage, vulnerability to social isolation varies in important ways between societies. The paper draws upon data from a major EU survey carried out in 1996, which provides comparative evidence for all member states.
How penal common sense comes to europeans
Authors: Wacquant Loïc
Published: October 2013

This article analyzes the processes whereby a new ‘penal common sense’ aiming to criminalize poverty and thereby normalize precarious wage labor has incubated in America and is being internationalized, alongside the neoliberal economic ideology which it translates and complements in the realm of ‘justice’. Three operations are distinguished in the transatlantic diffusion of this new doxa on ‘security’: (1) the gestation and dissemination of terms, theses, and measures that converge to penalize social insecurity and its consequences; (2) their borrowing, through a work of adaptation to the national cultural idiom and state tradition, by the officials of the different receiving countries; (3) the ‘academicization’ of the categories of neoliberal understanding by pseudo-social research that serves to legitimize the bolstering of the penal state.

Denunciations of ‘urban violence’ and increased surveillance of ‘problem neighborhoods’, curfews and the targeting of petty drug offenders, deregulation and privatization of criminal justice services, ‘prison works’ and ‘zero tolerance’: these mottos, notions, and policies promoted by neoconservative think-tanks in the United States and their British trading posts have spread throughout western Europe where they facilitate the transition from a social welfare to a penal management of the rising social misery. Thus one needs to extend the expression ‘Washington consensus’, commonly used to designate neoliberal measures of ‘structural adjustment’ imposed by the rulers of global finance on debtor nations, to encompass the policing and carceral management of the increased poverty and marginality that are the socio-logical consequence of these economic policies in advanced societies.
‘Death is not the same always and everywhere’ – sociocultural aspects of brain death and the legislation of organ transplantation
Authors: Schneider Werner
Published: October 2013

In all modern industrialised countries with advanced medical systems (USA/Canada, Europe, Asia) organ transplantation is now among the standard repertoire of available treatments, even though the closely related concept of brain death has repeatedly and persistently been the subject of more or less controversial discussion, depending on the national context and cultural traditions. Taking a cultural-sociological interpretation of the concepts of dying and death as its starting point, this article precisely states the sociological problem of brain death as a question of the demarcations, discursively generated and conveyed, between a person who is ‘still alive’ and one who is ‘already dead’, together with the associated, possibly changing cultural concepts of ‘life’ and ‘death’, extending to the empirically virtually unexplored interaction with social practice with regard to the dying and the dead. The analysis of the public discussion in Germany in the course of the consideration of the Transplantation Bill in 1997 shows how the brain-death discourse, in its interpretations predominant in Germany, masks the ‘modern uncertainty of death’ as a blurring of the boundaries between life and death, and prevents the demarcation from becoming reflexive as a societal process. Considering the discernible national differences and contradictions in the context of the definition of brain death and the legal regulation of transplantation practice, the article calls for a systematic empirical treatment, as yet virtually non-existent, of the ‘diverging truths of death’ in ‘globalised knowledge societies’.
Economic standard of living
Authors: Halleröd Björn
Published: October 2013

This article has two main objectives. First, to analyse the distribution of economic standard over time in a section of the Swedish population born between 1911 and 1959. Second, to study to what degree labour market position, life cycle events and gender affect this distribution. The empirical analysis uses panel data from the Swedish survey of living conditions gathered in 1979, 1987 and 1995. The concept ‘economic standard’ refers not only to money income but also to actual consumption, the ability to make ends meet and the capacity to save money regularly, and it is operationalized as a latent variable using structural equation modelling.

The results reveal a great deal of stability in the distribution of economic standard over time, and the generally held view that differences in economic standard are evened out over the life course is not supported. Labour market position, household composition and age are important in explaining differences in economic standard. There are also significant differences between women and men. Men are more affected by labour market characteristics such as class position and unemployment, whereas women are more dependent on the household and, if married or cohabiting, on the class position of the spouse.
BEReX: Biomedical Entity-Relationship eXplorer
Authors: Jeon Minji , Lee Sunwon , Lee Kyubum , Tan Aik-Choon , Kang Jaewoo
Published: October 2013

Summary: Biomedical Entity-Relationship eXplorer (BEReX) is a new biomedical knowledge integration, search and exploration tool. BEReX integrates eight popular databases (STRING, DrugBank, KEGG, PhamGKB, BioGRID, GO, HPRD and MSigDB) and delineates an integrated network by combining the information available from these databases. Users search the integrated network by entering key words, and BEReX returns a sub-network matching the key words. The resulting graph can be explored interactively. BEReX allows users to find the shortest paths between two remote nodes, find the most relevant drugs, diseases, pathways and so on related to the current network, expand the network by particular types of entities and relations and modify the network by removing or adding selected nodes. BEReX is implemented as a standalone Java application.

Availability and implementation: BEReX and a detailed user guide are available for download at our project Web site (http://infos.korea.ac.kr/berex).

Contact: kangj@korea.ac.kr

Supplementary Information: Supplementary methods and Supplementary Data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Somatosensory-Evoked Potential–Guided Intercostal Artery Reimplantation in Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery
Authors: Pillai Jain Bhaskara , Pellet Yonni , Panagopoulos Georgia , Sadek Mostafa A. , Abjigitova Djamila , Weiss David , Plestis Konstadinos A.
Published: October 2013

Objective

This study was undertaken to evaluate the use of somatosensory-evokedpotential (SSEP) monitoring on intercostal artery reimplantation (IAR) and spinal cord ischemia rates during thoracoabdominal ortic aneurysm repair.

Methods

Fifty-two patients had thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair with IAR under SSEP guidance and 79 patients had repair with routine IAR without SSEP guidance from 1999 to 2010.

Results

No differences were observed between the two groups in age (63.1 ± 11.6 vs 64.8 ± 9.8 years), sex (57.7% vs 50.6% men), chronic dissections (40.4% vs 44.3%), renal insufficiency (11.5% vs 10.1%), and Crawford type 1 and 2 aneurysms (53.9% vs 53.9%). There was one case (1.9%) of immediate paraplegia and one case (1.9%) of delayed paraplegia in the SSEP group versus 2 cases (2.5%) of immediate paraplegia in the non-SSEP group ( P = 0.92). In the SSEP group, 38 patients (73.1%) had SSEP changes, but only 15 (28.8%) required reimplantation. There were fewer IARs in the SSEP group compared with the non-SSEP group (28.8% vs. 59.5%, P = 0.004). No difference was observed in 30-day mortality between the SSEP and the non-SSEP group (3.9% vs. 7.6%, P = 0.48).

Conclusions

The use of SSEP monitoring led to a significant decrease in the need for IAR without increasing the paraplegia rate.
Combined Totally Endoscopic Robotic Coronary Bypass and Mitral Valve Repair via Right-Sided Ports
Authors: Maciolek Kimberly A. , Krienbring Dorothy J. , Naum Efstathios S. , Arnsdorf Susan E. , Balkhy Husam H.
Published: October 2013

We present a case of combined coronary artery bypass grafting and mitral valve (MV) repair using a robotic totally endoscopic right-sided approach. A 61-year-old man presented with fatigue due to significant mitral regurgitation and was found to have a tight stenosis in the mid left anterior descending artery. Using the da Vinci robotic system, the patient underwent a left internal mammary artery graft to the left anterior descending artery using the C-Port Flex A distal anastomotic device followed by a MV repair. Both procedures were performed endoscopically via right chest ports and right femorofemoral bypass successfully. The patient was discharged from the hospital 3 days postoperatively and returned to normal activity within 3 weeks after surgery. This case study shows the feasibility of using an endoscopic robotic approach in selected patients undergoing combined MV coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.
Cotton-Derived Oxidized Cellulose in Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery
Authors: Witte Biruta , Kroeber Stefan M. , Hillebrand Hubertus , Wolf Michael , Huertgen Martin
Published: October 2013

Objective

The aim of this study was to identify resorption, clinical performance, and safety of cotton-derived oxidized cellulose gauze applied as a hemostat in minimally invasive oncologic thoracic surgery.

Methods

This is a pilot prospective noncomparative observational human in vivo study. A piece of cotton-derived oxidized cellulose gauze measuring 5 × 20 cm was inserted into the subcarinal space of patients with potentially resectable lung carcinoma at the time of video-assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy and reexamined several days later for macroscopic and histologic evaluation at the time of subsequent lung resection. The primary endpoint was the local situation at the implantation site described by cellulose remnants, fluid collections, and adhesions. The secondary endpoint was safety, described by the number of adverse events and surgical reinterventions.

Results

Twenty-five consecutive eligible patients with potentially resectable lung carcinoma were included. The desired hemostatic effect was achieved in all cases. No adverse events were observed. At re-exploration 10.5 (5–28) days later, the cellulose gauze was found to lose its solid structure from the fifth day on. Remnants were last detected 14 days after insertion. The implantation site exhibited no inflammatory changes and a remarkable small amount of fluid collections and adhesions.

Conclusions

Mediastinal application of cotton-derived oxidized cellulose is safe and effective. A piece of gauze measuring 5 × 20 cm seems to be absorbed completely within 15 days, thus precluding any interference with oncologic restaging and follow-up. The absence of relevant adhesions facilitates further surgical procedures. Larger comparative confirmatory studies are required. For large-scale resorption studies, our clinical model should be translated into a porcine model.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Iron Deficiency in Healthy Young Children in the Southwestern Netherlands
Authors: Uijterschout Lieke , Vloemans Janneke , Vos Rimke , Teunisse Peter‐Paul , Hudig Cisca , Bubbers Sally , Verbruggen Sascha , Veldhorst Margriet , de Leeuw Tom , van Goudoever Johannes B. , Brus Frank
Published: October 2013

Objectives:

Iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA), during the first years of life, are associated with delayed motor and neurological development. Many studies evaluated iron status without an assessment of an acute‐phase protein to identify infection. Because most indicators of iron status are influenced by infection, these data may underestimate the ID prevalence. A food consumption survey in the Netherlands showed that the mean iron intake of children ages 2 to 3 years was below the advised adequate intake of 7 mg/day. The aim of the study was to investigate iron status in a well‐defined, healthy population of young children in the southwestern region of the Netherlands and to identify risk factors for ID.

Methods:

We conducted a multicenter, observational study in healthy children ages 0.5 to 3 years. We defined ID as ferritin <12 μg/L and IDA when, in addition, hemoglobin was <110 g/L. Children with elevated C‐reactive protein levels (>5 mg/L) or underlying causes for anemia were excluded. Parents filled in a questionnaire to identify risk factors for ID.

Results:

We included 400 children in the study. ID and IDA were detected in 18.8% and 8.5% of the children, respectively. The present use of formula and the visit of preschool/day care were associated with a lower prevalence of ID, and a high intake of cow's milk was associated with a higher prevalence of ID, after adjustment for age.

Conclusions:

ID is present in 18.8% of healthy children ages 0.5 to 3 years and living in the southwestern region of the Netherlands. The present visit of preschool/day care and the use of formula are associated with a reduced risk of ID, whereas a high intake of cow's milk is associated with an increased risk of ID.
Delineating the roles of males and females in sperm competition
Authors: Evans Jonathan P. , Rosengrave Patrice , Gasparini Clelia , Gemmell Neil J.
Published: October 2013

Disentangling the relative roles of males, females and their interactive effects on competitive fertilization success remains a challenge in sperm competition. In this study, we apply a novel experimental framework to an ideally suited externally fertilizing model system in order to delineate these roles. We focus on the chinook salmon,Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, a species in which ovarian fluid (OF) has been implicated as a potential arbiter of cryptic female choice for genetically compatible mates. We evaluated this predicted sexually selected function of OF using a series of factorial competitive fertilization trials. Our design involved a series of 10 factorial crosses, each involving two ‘focal’ rival males whose sperm competed against those from a single ‘standardized’ (non-focal) rival for a genetically uniform set of eggs in the presence of OF from two focal females. This design enabled us to attribute variation in competitive fertilization success among focal males, females (OF) and their interacting effects, while controlling for variation attributable to differences in the sperm competitive ability of rival males, and male-by-female genotypic interactions. Using this experimental framework, we found that variation in sperm competitiveness could be attributed exclusively to differences in the sperm competitive ability of focal males, a conclusion supported by subsequent analyses revealing that variation in sperm swimming velocity predicts paternity success. Together, these findings provide evidence that variation in paternity success can be attributed to intrinsic differences in the sperm competitive ability of rival males, and reveal that sperm swimming velocity is a key target of sexual selection.
Pinhole-type two-dimensional ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering on the micrometer scale
Authors: Kishimoto Hiroyuki , Shinohara Yuya , Suzuki Yoshio , Takeuchi Akihisa , Yagi Naoto , Amemiya Yoshiyuki
Published: October 2013

A pinhole-type two-dimensional ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering set-up at a so-called medium-length beamline at SPring-8 is reported. A long sample-to-detector distance, 160.5 m, can be used at this beamline and a small-angle resolution of 0.25 µm−1was thereby achieved at an X-ray energy of 8 keV.
Propagation-based phase-contrast X-ray microtomography of a cerebral protection device retrieved after carotid artery stenting
Authors: Youn Sung Won , Kim Ho Kyun , Kim Hong Tae , Han Sung Mi , Do Jin Kuk , Do Young Rok , Lee Hui Joong , Lee Jongmin , Lim Jae Hong
Published: October 2013

Phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography (pcSyncX) based on the highly coherent X-ray beam has previously been used to visualize the microstructures of biologic specimens, but it has never been used to evaluate embolic debris adherent on a cerebral protection device (CPD). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of pcSyncX for evaluating embolic debris during carotid artery stenting (CAS). Five patients (four males, age range 67–77 years) with severe carotid artery stenosis underwent CAS. The retrieved CPD was exposed to synchrotron radiation and 1000 pcSyncX projection images were obtained by rotating the CPD through 180°. An X-ray shadow of a CPD was converted into a visual image by the scintillator. After microtomographic reconstruction, the three-dimensionally reconstructed images were further segmented into the embolic debris and CPD. The total volume of emboli was calculated by summing the volume at each scanning level. The number of membrane pores covered by emboli as seen from the outer surface was counted and the percentage of covered area was calculated. Embolic debris was clearly demonstrated not only on the inner surface and within pores but also on the outer surface of the CPD. The mean total volume of embolic debris was 0.538 × 10–6 mm3(range 0.225–0.965 × 10–6 mm3). Most (61.5%) of the debris was located at the apical one-third of the CPD and 20.8% of the pore area was covered by debris.
Integration method for directly analyzing interface statistics of periodic multilayers from X-ray scattering
Authors: Li Haochuan , Zhu Jingtao , Wang Zhanshan , Chen Hong , Wang Yuzhu , Wang Jie
Published: October 2013

An integration method is demonstrated for directly determining the average interface statistics of periodic multilayers from the X-ray scattering diagram. By measuring the X-ray scattering diagram in the out-of-plane geometry and integrating the scattered intensity along the vertical momentum transferqzin an interval, which is decided by the thickness ratio Γ (ratio of sublayer's thickness to periodic thickness), the cross-correlations between different interfaces are canceled and only the autocorrelations are reserved. Then the multilayer can be treated as a `single interface' and the average power spectral density can be obtained without assuming any vertical correlation model. This method has been employed to study the interface morphology of sputter-deposited W/Si multilayers grown at an Ar pressure of 1–7 mTorr. The results show an increase in vertical correlation length and a decrease in lateral correlation length with increased Ar pressure. The static roughness exponent α = 0 and dynamic growth exponentz= 2 indicate the Edwards–Wilkinson growth model at an Ar pressure of 1–5 mTorr. At an Ar pressure of 7 mTorr, α = 0.35 andz= 1.65 indicate the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang growth model.
Beamline BL-07 at Indus-2: a facility for microfabrication research
Authors: Dhamgaye V. P. , Lodha G. S. , Gowri Sankar B. , Kant C.
Published: October 2013

The X-ray lithography beamline on Indus-2 is now operational, with two modes of operation. With a pair of X-ray mirrors it is possible to tune the energy spectrum between 1 and 20 keV with a controlled spectral bandwidth. In its `no optics' mode, hard X-rays up to 40 keV are available. Features and performance of the beamline are presented along with some example structures. Structures fabricated include honeycomb structures in PMMA using a stainless steel stencil mask and a compound refractive X-ray lens using a polyimide–gold mask in SU-8.
Effects of wind energy development on survival of female greater prairie‐chickens
Authors: Winder Virginia L. , McNew Lance B. , Gregory Andrew J. , Hunt Lyla M. , Wisely Samantha M. , Sandercock Brett K.
Published: October 2013

The potential effects of wind energy development on wildlife have received increased attention over the past decade. In Kansas, optimal sites for wind energy development often overlap with preferred habitats of greater prairie‐chickens Tympanuchus cupido. Our goal was to determine whether wind energy development affected survival of female prairie‐chickens in a grassland ecosystem, assessing one potential impact of wind on an upland gamebird of conservation concern. We focused primarily on the response of female prairie‐chickens to wind energy development because population dynamics of prairie‐chickens are primarily determined by female demography.

We monitored prairie‐chickens at a wind facility in Kansas during a 2‐year pre‐construction (2007–2008) and a 3‐year post‐construction period (2009–2011). We used data from 220 radio‐marked females to calculate weekly survival and hazard rates. We used cause of death for 81 mortality events to test for changes in the proportion of mortalities attributed to mammalian predators, avian predators and collisions.

We observed an unexpected increase in annual survival during the post‐construction period (0·57) compared with the pre‐construction period (0·32). Distance from home range centroid to the nearest wind turbine site had no effect on weekly survival of females. Collision mortality events were rare, and most were associated with fences or transmission lines and not turbine blades.

Most female mortality was due to predation (c. 90%). Differences in annual survival were driven by a higher risk of mortality during lekking activity in March and April during the pre‐construction period (weekly hazard rate = 0·050–0·062) compared with the post‐construction period (hazard rate = 0·012–0·021). We observed no change in the proportion of mortalities attributed to different causes between the two treatment periods.

Synthesis and applications. Development of a wind energy facility had no negative effect on survival of female prairie‐chickens. The results of our field study indicate that greater prairie‐chickens are less sensitive to wind energy development than lesser prairie‐chickens Tympanuchus pallidicinctus and greater sage‐grouse Centrocercus urophasianus are to oil and gas development. We have strong evidence that survival increased after wind energy development, and hypothesize that energy development affected the local predator community, resulting in an indirect effect of decreased predation risk during the post‐construction period.
Predicting Cancer Mortality: Developing a New Cancer Care Variable Using Mixed Methods and the Quasi‐Statistical Approach
Authors: Zickmund Susan L. , Yang Suzanne , Mulvey Edward P. , Bost James E. , Shinkunas Laura A. , LaBrecque Douglas R.
Published: October 2013

Objective

To demonstrate the value of using a variable derived from qualitative analysis in subsequent quantitative analyses.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Mixed methods data were combined with 10‐year mortality outcomes. Participants with cancer were recruited from services at a large teaching hospital, and mortality data were from the Social Security Death Index.

Study Design

An observational concurrent or convergent mixed methods design was used to collect demographics and structured ratings along with qualitative data from 909 cancer patients at baseline.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Coding rules for qualitative data were defined for open‐ended responses from cancer participants speaking about their view of self, and a variable was numerically coded for each case. Mortality outcomes were matched to baseline data, including the view of self variable.

Principal Findings

Individuals with an improved view of self had a significantly lower mortality rate than those for whom it was worse or unchanged, even when adjusting for age, gender, and cancer stage.

Conclusions

Statistical analysis of qualitative data is feasible and can identify new predictors with health services' implications associated with cancer mortality. Future studies should consider the value of testing coded qualitative variables in relation with key health care outcomes.
Conservation priority of global Galliformes species based on phylogenetic diversity
Authors: CHEN Youhua
Published: October 2013

In this study, based on phylogenetic diversity (PD), I develop a conservation strategy for Galliformes species around the world. A cladogram of 197 Galliformes species derived from a previous study was used for calculating PD metrics. Branch length is an important aspect of the phylogenetic information a tree can convey, but 2 traditionally‐used metrics, the number of phylogenetic groups to which a taxon belongs (I) and the proportion that each taxon contributes to the total diversity of the group (W), are fully node‐based and do not take branch length into account. Therefore, to measure PD more appropriately, I combined a branch‐related metric, pendant edge (P), in addition to I and W. A final combined rank for Galliformes species was obtained by summing the ranks of the 3 metrics. My results showed that the 5% top priority species for conserving evolutionary potential were Galloperdix lunulata, Haematortyx sanguiniceps, Margaroperdix madagarensis, Syrmaticus soemmerringii, Coturnix pectoralis, Polyplectron napoleonis, Alectoris melanocephala, Xenoperdix udzungwensis, Afropavo congensis and Syrmaticus reevesii. The current species priority ranking based on pylogenetic diversity and the official International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) ranking of Galliformes species was significantly correlated when considering the 5 categories of IUCN (critical endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near threatened and least concern). This indicated the feasibility of introducing the PD index into the network of IUCN regional Red List assessment. The 5% top priority countries selected using the complementarity principle possessing diversified Galliformes genetic resources were China, Indonesia, Mexico, India, Colombia, Australia, Brazil, Angola, Congo and Japan (in descending order). China, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, India and Colombia are consistently selected among the 4 top priority sets of richness, rarity, endemicity and PD. This result indicated that the priority result from PD is highly congruent with conventional measures. Along with other conventional ecological attributes, the alternative conservation scenario based on PD is reasonable and can be adopted in systematic conservation planning.
Investigation of Risks for Cerebral Embolism Associated With the Hemodynamics of Cardiopulmonary Bypass Cannula: A Numerical Model
Authors: Avrahami Idit , Dilmoney Benny , Azuri Aliza , Brand Moshe , Cohen Oved , Shani Liran , Nir Rony‐Reuven , Bolotin Gil
Published: October 2013

Cerebral emboli originating in the ascending aorta are a major cause of noncardiac complications following cardiac surgery. The hemodynamics of the aortic cannula has been proven to play a significant role in emboli generation and distribution. The aim of the current study was to perform a thorough numerical investigation in order to examine the effect of the design and orientation of the cannula used during cardiopulmonary bypass on the risk to develop cerebral embolism. Hemodynamic analyses compared numerical models of 27 cases consisting of six different cannula orientations, four aortic anatomies, and three cannula designs. The cannula designs included a straight‐tip (ST) cannula, a moderately curved tip cannula (TIP1), and a sharp‐angle curved cannula (TIP2). Outcome measures included hemodynamic parameters such as emanating jet velocity, jet velocity drop, maximal shear stress, aortic wall reaction, emboli pathlines and distribution between upper and lower vessels, and stagnation regions. Based on these parameters, the risks for hemolysis, atheroembolism, and cerebral embolism were evaluated and compared. On one hand, the jet emerging from the ST cannula generated large wall‐shear stress at the aortic wall; this may have triggered the erosion and distribution of embolic atheromatous debris from the aortic arch. On the other hand, it diverted more emboli from the clamp region to the descending aorta and thus reduced the risk for cerebral embolism. The TIP1 cannula demonstrated less shear stress on the aortic wall and diverted more emboli from the clamp region toward the upper vessels. The TIP2 cannula exhibited a stronger emanating jet, higher shear stress inside the cannula, and highly disturbed flow, which was more stagnant near the clamp region. Current findings support the significant impact of the cannula design and orientation on emboli generation and distribution. Specifically, the straight tip cannula demonstrated a reduced risk of cerebral embolism, which may be pivotal in the clinical setting.
Traps and hyper inflammation – new ways that neutrophils promote or hinder survival
Authors: Gunzer Matthias
Published: October 2013

For a long time neutrophil granulocytes were considered simply as terminally differentiated cells with a limited life span and pathogen killing by phagocytosis and chemical toxicity being the sole mode of action. However, work during the last 10 years has started to change this view fundamentally. Modern understanding is that neutrophils have an enormous complexity of functions. This review discusses very recent findings on how neutrophils can control the spread of pathogens and mediate their killing by mechanisms such as formation of DNA nets, how they influence tumour growth and adaptive immune responses and how they manoeuvre inside the diverse compartments of the body. It will also describe how the normally protective functions of neutrophils can have deleterious consequences if they occur in an uncontrolled fashion. These exciting novel findings are likely to completely and permanently change our view of this central leucocyte population.