bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communities of Interest–Interest of Communities: Social and Semantic Analysis of Communities in Infrastructure Discussion Networks
Authors: Nik‐Bakht* Mazdak , El‐diraby Tamer E.
Published: June 2015

The process of public consultation for planning and construction of sustainable urban infrastructure requires a bidirectional communication among as many stakeholders of the project as possible. In modern infrastructure projects, social web and online social media play an important role in involving citizens through what is referred to as “microparticipation.” However, the social network which is formed behind the scene of microparticipation is usually ignored by both researchers and practitioners. This article combines community detection in social networks with information retrieval methods, to detect and label communities of project followers and cores of interest in the network of urban infrastructure project stakeholders. We study dynamics of the network and its communities by monitoring them over time. This technique is used to analyze followers of a Light Rail Transit (LRT) project in microblogging website Twitter and profile them based on their interests and ideas they support. Although methods of this article can be readily applied to other cases where connectivity of project followers and their descriptions are retrievable, our work is mainly interested in how to analyze Twitter discussions without any assumption that they replace the other online or offline means of public involvement in infrastructure projects. This article is an extended version of a conference paper that appeared as Nik Bakht & El‐Diraby, 2013(2).
The joint evolution of traits and habitat: ontogenetic shifts in leaf morphology and wetland specialization in Lasthenia
Authors: Forrestel Elisabeth J. , Ackerly David D. , Emery Nancy C.
Published: June 2015

The interplay between functional traits and habitat associations drives species' evolutionary responses to environmental heterogeneity, including processes such as adaptation, ecological speciation, and niche evolution. Seasonal variation is an aspect of the environment that varies across habitats, and could result in adaptive shifts in trait values across the life cycle of a plant.

Here, we use phylogenetic comparative methods to evaluate the joint evolution of plant traits and habitat associations in Lasthenia (Asteraceae), a small clade of predominantly annual plants that have differentiated into an ecologically diverse range of habitats, including seasonal ephemeral wetlands known as vernal pools.

Our results support the hypothesis that there is a link between the evolution of leaf morphology and the ecohydrological niche in Lasthenia, and, in the formation of aerenchyma (air space), differentiation between vernal pool and terrestrial taxa is fine‐tuned to specific stages of plant ontogeny that reflects the evolution of heterophylly.

Our findings demonstrate how the relationships between traits and habitat type can vary across the development of an organism, while highlighting a carefully considered comparative approach for examining correlated trait and niche evolution in a recently diversified and ecologically diverse plant clade.
Early‐life influences on obesity: from preconception to adolescence
Authors: Wahlqvist Mark L. , Krawetz Stephen A. , Rizzo Nico S. , Dominguez‐Bello Maria Gloria , Szymanski Linda M. , Barkin Shari , Yatkine Ann , Waterland Robert A. , Mennella Julie A. , Desai Mina , Ross Michael G. , Krebs Nancy F. , Young Bridget E. , Wardle Jane , Wrann Christiane D. , Kral John G.
Published: June 2015

The double burden of under‐ and overnutrition profoundly affects human health globally. According to the World Health Organization, obesity and diabetes rates have almost doubled worldwide since 1980, and, in 2011, more than 40 million children under 5 years of age were overweight. Ecologic factors, parental genetics and fitness, and the intrauterine environment significantly influence the likelihood of offspring developing the dysmetabolic diathesis of obesity. This report examines the effects of these factors, including preconception, intrauterine and postnatal energy balance affecting programming of transgenerational transmission, and development of chronic diseases later in life—in particular, diabesity and its comorbidities.
Patterns of parasite community dissimilarity: the significant role of land use and lack of distance‐decay in a bat–helminth system
Authors: Warburton Elizabeth M. , Kohler Steven L. , Vonhof Maarten J.
Published: June 2015

Increasing community dissimilarity across geographic distance has been described for a wide variety of organisms and understanding its underlying causes is key to understanding mechanisms driving patterns of biodiversity. Both niche‐based and neutral processes may produce a distance decay relationship; however, disentangling their relative influence requires simultaneous examination of multiple potential drivers. Parasites represent a unique opportunity in which to study distance decay because community dissimilarity may depend on environmental requirements and dispersal capability of parasites as well also those of their hosts. We used big brown batsEptesicus fuscusand their intestinal helminths to investigate: 1) independent contributions of geographic and environmental distances on dissimilarity of intestinal helminth component communities between populations of big brown bats; 2) which environmental variables best explained variation in community dissimilarity; and 3) whether similar patterns of decay with geographic or environmental distance were observed for within‐host population and within‐individual host parasite communities. We used compositional measures of community dissimilarity to examine how parasite communities may change with geographic distance and varying environmental conditions. Non‐spatial variables strongly influenced compositional parasite community dissimilarity over multiple community scales, and we observed little evidence for spatial processes such as distance decay. Environment surrounding roost sites better predicted helminth community dissimilarity than any other class of variables and landcover classes representing anthropogenic modification consistently explained variation in community structure. Our results indicate that human disturbance drives significant patterns of parasite community dissimilarity, most likely by changing the presence or abundance of intermediate hosts in an area.
Body size response to warming: time of the season matters in a tephritid fly
Authors: Xi Xinqiang , Wu Xinwei , Nylin Sören , Sun Shucun
Published: June 2015

Whether shrinking body size is a universal response to climate change remains controversial. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying body size shifts are poorly understood. Here, assuming that life history traits evolve to maximize fitness according to life history plasticity theory, we hypothesized that under global warming temperate multivoltine insects should emerge earlier with a smaller body mass in the early growing season, but emerge later with a larger body mass in the late season. We tested this hypothesis by conducting two field artificial warming experiments in an alpine meadow: 1) with one pre‐dispersal seed predator species (tephritid flies, Tephritis femoralis) and its two host‐plant species flowering in early and late growing seasons, respectively, and 2) with the tephritid flies and one host species with a flowering season that occupies parts of both the early and late growing seasons. These experiments were complemented by a microcosm chamber warming experiment, in which increasing and decreasing temperature trends were set to simulate temperature variation pattern in early and late growing seasons, respectively, but photoperiod was held constant. Warming generally advanced the adult emergence and decreased the body size (adult body mass) in the early season but delayed the emergence and increased the size in the late season in both field experiments, indicating that the seasonally different effects of warming on the fly body size was constant regardless of host‐plant identity. The chamber warming resulted in consistent responses of emerging timing and body size to the simulated seasonal warming, demonstrating that the temperature increase per se and its interaction with direction of temperature change, but not other correlated effects, should be primarily responsible for the observed contrasting shifts of body size at different times of the season. Our results indicate that taking into account temperate seasonal patterns of temperature variation could be of general importance for predicting animal body size changes in the warmed future.
ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 96 positively regulates Arabidopsis resistance to necrotrophic pathogens by direct binding to GCC elements of jasmonate – and ethylene‐responsive defence genes
Authors: Catinot Jérémy , Huang Jing‐Bo , Huang Pin‐Yao , Tseng Min‐Yuan , Chen Ying‐Lan , Gu Shin‐Yuan , Lo Wan‐Sheng , Wang Long‐Chi , Chen Yet‐Ran , Zimmerli Laurent
Published: June 2015

The ERF (ethylene responsive factor) family is composed of transcription factors (TFs) that are critical for appropriate Arabidopsis thaliana responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Here we identified and characterized a member of the ERF TF group IX, namely ERF96, that when overexpressed enhances Arabidopsis resistance to necrotrophic pathogens such as the fungus Botrytis cinerea and the bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum. ERF96 is jasmonate (JA) and ethylene (ET) responsive and ERF96 transcripts accumulation was abolished in JA‐insensitive coi1‐16 and in ET‐insensitive ein2‐1 mutants. Protoplast transactivation and electrophoresis mobility shift analyses revealed that ERF96 is an activator of transcription that binds to GCC elements. In addition, ERF96 mainly localized to the nucleus. Microarray analysis coupled to chromatin immunoprecipitation‐PCR of Arabidopsis overexpressing ERF96 revealed that ERF96 enhances the expression of the JA/ET defence genes PDF1.2a, PR‐3 and PR‐4 as well as the TF ORA59 by direct binding to GCC elements present in their promoters. While ERF96‐RNAi plants demonstrated wild‐type resistance to necrotrophic pathogens, basal PDF1.2 expression levels were reduced in ERF96‐silenced plants. This work revealed ERF96 as a key player of the ERF network that positively regulates the Arabidopsis resistance response to necrotrophic pathogens.
Yellow tailflower mild mottle virus and Pelargonium zonate spot virus co‐infect a wild plant of red‐striped tailflower in Australia
Authors: Li H. , Zhang C. , Luo H. , Jones M. G. K. , Sivasithamparam K. , Koh S.‐H. , Ong J. W. L. , Wylie S. J.
Published: June 2015

Isolates of an Australian indigenous virus, Yellow tailflower mild mottle virus (YTMMV‐Kalbarri), and an exotic virus, Pelargonium zonate spot virus (PZSV‐SW13), are described from Anthocercis ilicifolia subsp. ilicifolia (red‐striped tailflower, family Solanaceae), a species endemic to Western Australia. This is the first report of either virus from this plant species. The complete genome sequences of YTMMV‐Kalbarri and of PZSV‐SW13 were obtained. YTMMV‐Kalbarri shared 97% nucleotide pairwise identity with the sequence of the type isolate YTMMV‐Cervantes. The sequence PZSV‐SW13 shared greatest sequence identity with the partial sequence of an Australian isolate of PZSV, also from a wild plant, and with a sunflower‐derived isolate of PZSV from Argentina. An experimental host range study was done of YTMMV‐Kalbarri using cultivated and wild solanaceous and non‐solanaceous plants. Most solanaceous plants became systemically infected, with symptoms of systemic infection ranging from symptomless to whole plant necrosis. Based on these studies, it is suggested that YTMMV has the potential to become a pathogen of commercial species of Solanaceae. This study provides further evidence that PZSV is present in wild plants in Australia, in this case an indigenous host species, and possible routes by which it invaded Australia are discussed.
Modeling Issue Definitions Using Quantitative Text Analysis
Authors: Nowlin Matthew C.
Published: June 2015

Issue definitions, the way policy issues are understood, are an important component for understanding the policymaking process. Research on issue definitions has been divided between a macro level that examines collective issue definitions and a micro level focusing on the ways in which policy actors frame policy issues. This article develops a model of issue definitions that assumes issues are multidimensional, competition exists among policy actors in defining issues, and that collective issue definitions can be understood as the aggregation of individual issue definitions. This model is then estimated using quantitative text analysis. While various approaches to text analysis and categorization have been used by scholars, latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), a specific type of topic modeling, is used to estimate issue definitions. Using LDA, witness testimony taken from Congressional hearings that occurred from 1975 to 2012 about the issue of used nuclear fuel (UNF) is examined and seven distinct dimensions of the UNF debate are estimated. The construct validity of these dimensions is checked by testing them against two major policy changes that occurred in the UNF domain. I conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weakness of topic modeling, and how this approach could be used to test hypotheses drawn from several of the major policymaking theories.
Shifting Constellations of Actors and Their Influence on Policy Diffusion: A Study of the Diffusion of Drug Courts
Authors: Douglas James W. , Raudla Ringa , Hartley Roger E.
Published: June 2015

The existing studies of policy diffusion have paid insufficient attention to how policy actors in the macroenvironment of local jurisdictions influence the process of policy diffusion, what kind of mechanisms drive the interdependent spread of a policy, and how the diffusion process changes over time. We explore, both theoretically and empirically, the role different go‐betweens can play in policy diffusion, what kind of interactions take place between the micro level and macro level, and how shifts in the constellations of actors in the macroenvironment of a local jurisdiction can influence the mechanisms and rate of policy diffusion. Our empirical study of the diffusion of drug courts in four U.S. states demonstrates that there can indeed be significant interactions between the micro level and the macro level and that these interactions are likely to shape the diffusion process.
The Competent Judge Problem
Authors: Brownlee Kimberley
Published: June 2015

We face an epistemic problem in competently judging some types of experience. The problem arises when an experience either defies our efforts to assess its quality, such as a traumatic event, or compromises our abilities to assess quality in general, such as starvation. In the latter type of case, the competent judge problem is actually a paradox since the experience undermines our competence to judge at the same time that it gives us competence to judge it against other experiences. The problem is pressing because it arises for experiences at the more extreme ends of the spectrum, which are precisely the experiences we most want to judge competently. It also has implications for how we approach some practical ethical problems, such as solitary confinement. The paper explores a range of cases and explains why efforts to escape the competent judge problem may prove fruitless.
Personal resurrection: female childhood sexual abuse survivors’ experience of the Wellness‐Program
Authors: Sigurdardottir Sigrun , Halldorsdottir Sigridur , Bender Soley S. , Agnarsdottir Guðrun
Published: June 2015

Background

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors deal with complex mental, physical and relationship problems in adulthood which negatively affects their well‐being and health. The aim of the present paper was to present a description of the Wellness‐Program for female CSA survivors, the participating women's evaluation of the different therapies in the program as well as a qualitative study on their experience of the program's effects on their life, health and well‐being.

Method

The Wellness‐Program lasted for 10 weeks with organised schedule 20 hours per week. A team of health professionals used a holistic approach and provided traditional and complementary individual and group therapy focusing on both mind and body. In‐depth phenomenological interviews with ten women, 22–53 years old, were conducted 1 week before and 1 week after the program as well as 15 months later. Data collection and data analysis were guided by the Vancouver School of doing phenomenology.

Results

Prior to participating in the program, the women were unable to work or attend school, were on disability allowance, were socially isolated and had complex health problems. After the Wellness‐Program, all the women, except one, were back to work, school or in further rehabilitation. Furthermore, the in‐depth interviews showed that their health and well‐being, personal life and relationship with partners, family and friends improved. They felt empowered, more in control and had developed increased trust towards others. Six themes were constructed from the in‐depth interviews. They were: feeling totally lost, releasing experiences, developing trusting relationships, gaining control, experiencing positive changes in physical and mental health and, finally, feeling of empowerment. The overriding theme of the study was personal resurrection.

Conclusions

The Wellness‐Program contributed considerably to improved health and well‐being of the women. However, further assessment of the program is recommended before making it available within the healthcare system.
Feasibility of a patient‐centred nutrition intervention to improve oral intakes of patients at risk of pressure ulcer: a pilot randomised control trial
Authors: Roberts Shelley , Desbrow Ben , Chaboyer Wendy
Published: June 2015

Aim

Nutrition is important for pressure ulcer prevention. This randomised control pilot study assessed the feasibility of conducting a larger trial to test the effectiveness of a patient‐centred intervention for improving the dietary intakes of patients at risk of pressure ulcer in hospital.

Methods

A 3‐day intervention targeting patients at risk of pressure ulcer was developed, based on three main foundations: patient education, patient participation and guided goal setting. The intervention was piloted in three wards in a metropolitan hospital in Queensland, Australia. Participants were randomised into control or intervention groups and had their oral intakes monitored. A subset of intervention patients was interviewed on their perceptions of the intervention. Feasibility was tested against three criteria: ≥75% recruitment; ≥80% retention; and ≥80% intervention fidelity. Secondary outcomes related to effects on energy and protein intakes.

Results

Eighty patients participated in the study and 66 were included in final analysis. The recruitment rate was 82%, retention rate was 88%, and 100% of intervention patients received the intervention. Patients viewed the intervention as motivating and met significantly more of their estimated energy and protein requirements over time.

Conclusion

This pilot study indicates that the intervention is feasible and acceptable by patients at risk of pressure ulcer. A larger trial is needed to confirm the effectiveness of the intervention in the clinical setting.
Local Protest and Federal Policy: The Impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the 1964 Civil Rights Act
Authors: Andrews Kenneth T. , Gaby Sarah
Published: June 2015

When and how do movements influence policy change? We examine the dynamics leading up to Kennedy's decision to pursue major civil rights legislation in 1963. This marked a key turning point in shifting the executive branch from a timid and gradualist approach. Although it is widely taken for granted that the civil rights movement propelled this shift, how the movement mattered is less clear. While most protest targeted local economic actors, movement influence was exerted at the national level on political actors. Thus, movement influence was indirect. We focus on the relationship between local movement efforts to desegregate public accommodations (restaurants, movie theaters, hotels, etc.) and federal responses to movement demands. Although exchanges between movement actors and the federal government took place throughout the period, the logic of federal response evolved as political actors sought strategies to minimize racial conflict. Specifically, the Kennedy administration shifted to a dual strategy. First, the Department of Justice attempted to promote “voluntary” desegregation by working with executives of national companies and civic groups. Second, administration officials worked with these same groups to build support for major legislation among key interest groups. This shift toward a more assertive and proactive intervention in civil rights stands in contrast to the pessimism regarding the prospects for federal policy only a few months earlier. We examine the logic of this response including the impact of civil rights protest on the administration's policy proposals.
Civil Rights Legislation and Legalized Exclusion: Mass Incarceration and the Masking of Inequality
Authors: Pettit Becky , Sykes Bryan L.
Published: June 2015

Civil rights legislation in the 1960s promised greater racial equality in a variety of domains including education, economic opportunity, and voting. Yet those same laws were coupled with exclusions from surveys used to gauge their effects thereby affecting both statistical portraits of inequality and our understanding of the impact of civil rights legislation. This article begins with a review of the exclusionary criteria and some tools intended for its evaluation. Civil rights laws were designed at least in part to be assessed through data on the American population collected from samples of individuals living in households, which neglects people who are unstably housed, homeless, or institutionalized. Time series data from surveys of the civilian population and those in prisons and jails show that growth in the American criminal justice system since the early 1970s undermines landmark civil rights acts. As many as 1 in 10 black men age 20–34 are in prison or jail on any given day, and in the post–Great Recession era, young black men who have dropped out of high school are more likely to be incarcerated than working in the paid labor force. Our findings call into question assessments of equal opportunity more than half a century after the enactment of historic legislation meant to redress racial inequities in America.
From Countermemory to Collective Memory: Acknowledging the “Mississippi Burning” Murders
Authors: Whitlinger Claire
Published: June 2015

Sociologists have long been interested in collective representations of the past, as well as the processes through which individuals, groups, or events have been excluded from those representations. Despite this rich body of literature, few studies have examined the processes through which long‐silenced countermemory becomes integrated within “official” public memory. This study examines two instances of silence breaking in Philadelphia, Mississippi—the town notorious for the silence, denial, and collective obstruction of justice surrounding the 1964 “Mississippi Burning” murders. By reconstructing and comparing the event structure of the twenty‐fifth and fortieth anniversary commemorations—both interracial community‐wide events unique for having punctuated Philadelphia's prevailing silence on the murders—this article finds that commemorability and mnemonic capacity are necessary but insufficient factors for “silence breaking” commemorations to emerge. This study identifies two additional criteria necessary for commemorations that publicly acknowledged long‐silenced pasts: pressure from external forces, and the convergence of interests between those previously opposed to and those in favor of acknowledgment.
Incorporating Native American History into the Curriculum: Descriptive Representation or Campaign Contributions?*
Authors: Foxworth Raymond , Liu Amy H. , Sokhey Anand Edward
Published: June 2015

Objectives

What explains (1) the adoption of these inclusive educational policies, and (2) the timing of the passage of these educational policies? The objective of this study is to examine two competing hypotheses: the first has to do with descriptive representation; the second has to do with Native American nations acting as interest groups.

Methods

We use a newly constructed data set to estimate logistic regression, difference in difference, and Cox proportional hazards survival models.

Results

We find evidence that both descriptive representation and campaign contributions can explain whether there is adoption, but that only the latter can account for when there is adoption.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that Native American nations are becoming increasingly mobilized within U.S. state politics, and are finding ways to influence state policies—a pattern that is not just about policies that pertain to indigenous governance and sovereignty, but about policies with broader implications for non‐Native Americans.
Test anxiety and United States Medical Licensing Examination scores
Authors: Green Michael , Angoff Nancy , Encandela John
Published: June 2015

Background

Many medical students experience test anxiety, which may impair their performance in examinations. We examined the relationship between test anxiety and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) step‐1 scores and determined the effect of a test‐taking course on anxiety and USMLE scores.

Methods

We randomly chose second‐year students to take a test‐taking strategies course (cases) from among volunteers. The remainder of the class served as controls. We measured test anxiety with the Westside Test Anxiety Scale (with possible scores of 1–5). The cases completed the Westside Test Anxiety scale at baseline, after completing the course (4 weeks) and again after taking the USLME step 1 (10 weeks). The controls completed the instrument at baseline and after taking the USMLE step 1 (10 weeks).

Results

Ninety‐three of 101 (92%) students participated in the study. The baseline test anxiety score for all students was 2.48 (SD 0.63). Test anxiety was inversely correlated with USMLE step 1 (β = –0.24, p = 0.01), adjusting for Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores. The test anxiety score of the participants decreased from 2.79 to 2.61 after the course (p = 0.09), and decreased further to 2.53 after the USMLE (p = 0.02), whereas the scores of the controls increased. The mean USMLE step‐1 score was 234 for the cases and 243 for the controls (p = 0.03).

Many medical students experience test anxiety, which may impair their performance in examinations

Discussion

Test anxiety is modestly inversely correlated with USMLE step‐1 scores. A test‐taking strategy course modestly reduced anxiety, but did not improve USMLE scores. More robust interventions that achieve greater reductions in text anxiety may improve test scores.
Prototheca wickerhamii algaemia: an emerging infection in solid organ transplant recipients
Authors: Bandaranayake T.D. , Paniz Mondolfi A. , Peaper D.R. , Malinis M.F.
Published: June 2015

Prototheca wickerhamii is an alga that rarely causes human disease but has been reported increasingly among immunocompromised individuals. We report a fatal case of P. wickerhamii in a renal transplant recipient who presented with a cutaneous lesion that led to disseminated disease despite treatment with voriconazole. We reviewed previous cases of protothecosis involving solid organ transplant recipients in the literature and discussed the value of newer microbiology platforms, i.e., matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF), to achieve early diagnosis and impact outcomes.
Comparison of the in vitro effects of saline, hypertonic hydroxyethyl starch, hypertonic saline, and two forms of hydroxyethyl starch on whole blood coagulation and platelet function in dogs
Authors: Wurlod Virginie A. , Howard Judith , Francey Thierry , Schweighauser Ariane , Adamik Katja N.
Published: June 2015

Objective

To compare the in vitro effects of hypertonic solutions and colloids to saline on coagulation in dogs.

Design

In vitro experimental study.

Setting

Veterinary teaching hospital.

Animals

Twenty‐one adult dogs.

Interventions

Blood samples were diluted with saline, 7.2% hypertonic saline solution with 6% hydroxyethylstarch with an average molecular weight of 200 kDa and a molar substitution of 0.4 (HH), 7.2% hypertonic saline (HTS), hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 130/0.4 or hydroxyethyl starch 600/0.75 at ratios of 1:22 and 1:9, and with saline and HES at a ratio of 1:3.

Measurements and Main Results

Whole blood coagulation was analyzed using rotational thromboelastometry (extrinsic thromboelastometry‐cloting time (ExTEM‐CT), maximal clot firmness (MCF) and clot formation time (CFT) and fibrinogen function TEM‐CT (FibTEM‐CT) and MCF) and platelet function was analyzed using a platelet function analyzer (closure time, CTPFA). All parameters measured were impaired by saline dilution. The CTPFAwas prolonged by 7.2% hypertonic saline solution with 6% hydroxyethylstarch with an average molecular weight of 200 kDa and a molar substitution of 0.4 (HH) and HTS but not by HES solutions. At clinical dilutions equivalent to those generally administered for shock (saline 1:3, HES 1:9, and hypertonic solutions 1:22), CTPFAwas more prolonged by HH and HTS than other solutions but more by saline than HES. No difference was found between the HES solutions or the hypertonic solutions. ExTEM‐CFT and MCF were impaired by HH and HTS but only mildly by HES solutions. At clinically relevant dilutions, no difference was found in ExTEM‐CFT between HTS and saline or in ExTEM‐MCF between HH and saline. No consistent difference was found between the 2 HES solutions but HH impaired ExTEM‐CFT and MCF more than HTS. At high dilutions, FibTEM‐CT and ‐MCF and ExTEM‐CT were impaired by HES.

Conclusions

Hypertonic solutions affect platelet function and whole blood coagulation to a greater extent than saline and HES. At clinically relevant dilutions, only CTPFAwas markedly more affected by hypertonic solutions than by saline. At high dilutions, HES significantly affects coagulation but to no greater extent than saline at clinically relevant dilutions.
Force and number of myosin motors during muscle shortening and the coupling with the release of the ATP hydrolysis products
Authors: Caremani Marco , Melli Luca , Dolfi Mario , Lombardi Vincenzo , Linari Marco
Published: June 2015

Key points

Muscle contraction is due to cyclical ATP‐driven working strokes in the myosin motors while attached to the actin filament. Each working stroke is accompanied by the release of the hydrolysis products, orthophosphate and ADP. The rate of myosin–actin interactions increases with the increase in shortening velocity.

We used fast half‐sarcomere mechanics on skinned muscle fibres to determine the relation between shortening velocity and the number and strain of myosin motors and the effect of orthophosphate concentration.

A model simulation of the myosin–actin reaction explains the results assuming that orthophosphate and then ADP are released with rates that increase as the motor progresses through the working stroke. The ADP release rate further increases by one order of magnitude with the rise of negative strain in the final motor conformation.

These results provide the molecular explanation of the relation between the rate of energy liberation and shortening velocity during muscle contraction.

The chemo‐mechanical cycle of the myosin II–actin reaction in situ has been investigated in Ca2+‐activated skinned fibres from rabbit psoas, by determining the number and strain (s) of myosin motors interacting during steady shortening at different velocities (V) and the effect of raising inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentration. It was found that in control conditions (no added Pi), shortening at V ≤ 350 nm s–1 per half‐sarcomere, corresponding to force (T) greater than half the isometric force (T0), decreases the number of myosin motors in proportion to the reduction of T, so that s remains practically constant and similar to the T0 value independent of V. At higher V the number of motors decreases less than in proportion to T, so that s progressively decreases. Raising Pi concentration by 10 mm, which reduces T0 and the number of motors by 40–50%, does not influence the dependence on V of number and strain. A model simulation of the myosin–actin reaction in which the structural transitions responsible for the myosin working stroke and the release of the hydrolysis products are orthogonal explains the results assuming that Pi and then ADP are released with rates that increase as the motor progresses through the working stroke. The rate of ADP release from the conformation at the end of the working stroke is also strain‐sensitive, further increasing by one order of magnitude within a few nanometres of negative strain. These results provide the molecular explanation of the relation between the rate of energy liberation and the load during muscle contraction.
Subregional differences in the generation of fast network oscillations in the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in vitro
Authors: Glykos Vasileios , Whittington Miles A. , LeBeau Fiona E. N.
Published: June 2015

Key points

Fast network oscillations in the beta (20–30 Hz) frequency range can be evoked with combined activation of muscarinic and kainate receptors in different subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC).

Subregional differences were observed as the oscillations in the dorsal prelimbic cortex (PrL) were smaller in magnitude than those in the ventral dorsopeduncular (DP) region, and these differences persisted in trimmed slices containing only PrL and DP regions.

Oscillations in both regions were dependent upon GABAA and AMPA receptor activation but NMDA receptor blockade decreased oscillations only in the DP region.

Subregional differences in neuronal properties of the presumed pyramidal cells were found between PrL and DP, with many more cells in DP firing rhythmically compared to the PrL region.

Presumed inhibitory synaptic potentials (IPSPs) recorded from principal cells were more rhythmic and coherent, and significantly larger in amplitude, in the DP region; the data suggest that variation in the patterns of activity between subregions may reflect distinct functional roles.

Fast network oscillations in the beta (20–30 Hz) and low gamma (30–80 Hz) range underlie higher cognitive functions associated with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) including attention and working memory. Using a combination of kainate (KA, 200 nm) and the cholinergic agonist carbachol (Cb, 10 μm) fast network oscillations, in the beta frequency range, were evoked in the rat mPFC in vitro. Oscillations were elicited in the prelimbic (PrL), infralimbic (IL) and the dorsopeduncular (DP) cortex, with the largest oscillations observed in DP cortex. Oscillations in both the PrL and DP were dependent, with slightly different sensitivities, on γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)A, α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and kainate receptors, but only oscillations in the DP were significantly reduced by N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor blockade. Intracellular recordings showed that 9/20 regular spiking (RS) cells in the PrL exhibited a notable cAMP‐dependent hyperpolarisation activated current (Ih) in contrast to 16/17 in the DP cortex. Extracellular single unit recordings showed that the majority of cells in the PrL, and DP regions had interspike firing frequencies (IFFs) at beta (20–30 Hz) frequencies and fired at the peak negativity of the field oscillation. Recordings in DP revealed presumed inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) that were larger in amplitude and more rhythmic than those in the PrL region. Our data suggest that each PFC subregion may be capable of generating distinct patterns of network activity with different cell types involved. Variation in the properties of oscillations evoked in the PrL and DP probably reflects the distinct functional roles of these different PFC regions.
Performance Evaluation of a New Type of Combined Photovoltaic–Thermal Solar Collector
Authors: Colangelo Gianpiero , Romano Danilo , Marco Tina Giuseppe
Published: June 2015

A thermal analysis of a new photovoltaic–thermal (PV–T) solar panel design, called thermal electric solar panel integration (TESPI), has been performed using radtherm thermoanalitics software. Combinations of different water flow rates and different panel configurations have been analyzed to determine which one produces best performance in terms of optimal PV efficiency and available thermal energy. Higher total panel efficiencies (thermal and electrical) were achieved in configurations utilizing the highest water flow rates, independently from the chosen configuration. However, high water flow rates translated into minimal net temperature differences between the PV/T panel inlet and outlet.
Porous Body Model Based Parametric Study for Sodium to Air Heat Exchanger Used in Fast Reactors
Authors: Pathak S. P. , Suresh Kumar V. A. , Noushad I. B. , Rajan K. K. , Velusamy K. , Balaji C.
Published: June 2015

Sodium to air heat exchangers (AHX) with finned tubes is used in fast breeder reactors for decay heat removal. The aim of decay heat removal is to maintain the fuel, clad, coolant, and structural temperatures within safety limits. To investigate the thermal hydraulic features of AHX, a robust porous body based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model has been developed and validated against the experimental data obtained from a model AHX of 2 MW capacity in Steam Generator Test Facility at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam. In the present paper, the developed porous body model is used to study the sodium and air temperature distribution and the influence of various parameters that affect the heat removal rate and sodium outlet temperature in full-size AHX used in the fast breeder reactors. The parameters include mass flow rates and inlet temperatures of sodium and air. The focus of the study has been to identify conditions that can pose the risk of sodium freezing.
Thermal Assessment of Ablation Limit of Subsurface Tumor During Focused Ultrasound and Laser Heating
Authors: Bhowmik Arka , Repaka Ramjee , Mishra Subhash C. , Mitra Kunal
Published: June 2015

Theoretical study on the thermal assessment of two types of tumor ablation techniques, viz., focused laser for ablating skin lesion and focused high-frequency ultrasound for ablating breast tumor has been presented in this article. Estimation of temperature rise and the induced thermal damage in the skin using laser heating have been done by integrating the bioheat transfer, the laser-light attenuation, and the thermal damage models. Further, ultrasound heating of deep seated tumor within the breast has been implemented to estimate the temperature rise and the induced thermal damage by combining the bioheat transfer, the vascularized, the pressure wave, and the thermal damage models. The theoretical models for skin, breast, and blood vessels have been constructed based on the anatomical details, thermophysical, optical, and acoustic properties available in the literature. The study indicates that the focused ultrasound heating can selectively raise the temperature of the tissue above the ablation limit sparing the surrounding healthy ones and imposes sufficient thermal damage to the entire tumor volume in a relatively short exposure time and longer cooling period. Whereas the laser-based heating would lead to collateral damage of the surrounding tissues and demands longer exposure time in order to achieve complete heating of the tumor volume. Heating of tumor at a uniform rate is a major issue in both the cases, and in the course of heating, the entire tumor volume in certain regions may experience irregular necrosis rate and char formation. Based on the comprehensive modeling efforts, the study further suggests two important thermal ablation criteria for complete and uniform heating of tumor volume at relatively short exposure time.
Design Considerations for Building Distributed Supply Chain Management Systems Based on Cloud Computing
Authors: Radke Andreas M. , Tseng Mitchell M.
Published: June 2015

Global manufacturing has extended the supply chain not only in span of networks and dispersion of geographical locations but also more importantly, it also transcends vast organizational boundaries among webs of long supply chains. Naturally, the information and computation technology (ICT) systems supporting these entities serve well on their own merits independently; however, the sharing of information among them in a responsive and agile and secure fashion is limited. The advent of cloud computing provides a distinct possibility to enhance sharing of information, to better apply modern analytic tools and to improve managing the controlled access as well as security. This paper is prepared to address the architectural issues of the data, analytics, and organizational layers.
Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Analysis of Chilled Water and Ice Slurry in a Plate Heat Exchanger
Authors: Singh Rajinder , Kachhwaha Surendra Singh
Published: June 2015

The present study reports the experimental validation of thermohydraulic modeling for prediction of pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient. Experiments were performed on plate heat exchanger using chilled water and ice slurry as secondary fluids. Propylene glycol (PG) and mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) are used as depressants (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% concentration) in ice slurry formation. The results show that thermohydraulic modeling predicts the pressure drop and overall heat transfer coefficient for water to water and water to ice slurry within the discrepancy limit of ±15%.
LEM gets T cells the energy they need
Authors: Mueller Kristen L.
Published: June 2015

Forward genetics identifies a protein that promotes T cell immunity by affecting metabolism.
Identification of a memory drug target
Authors: Hurtley Stella M.
Published: June 2015

Mutations in a translation initiation factor reveal the target of a memory-enhancing drug.
How to generate head-to-tail polarity in a midge
Authors: Purnell Beverly A.
Published: June 2015

Structurally unrelated genes in
Drosophila
and a mosquito-related midge serve the same function by different mechanisms.
Nano-antidotes for drug overdose and poisoning
Authors: Forster Vincent , Leroux Jean-Christophe
Published: June 2015

Nanotechnologies for detoxification—nano-antidotes—are rising to the challenge of the growing overdose epidemic.
Regulator of G protein signaling 5 is a determinant of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia
Authors: Holobotovskyy Vasyl , Chong Yee Seng , Burchell Jennifer , He Bo , Phillips Michael , Leader Leo , Murphy Timothy V. , Sandow Shaun L. , McKitrick Douglas J. , Charles Adrian K. , Tare Marianne , Arnolda Leonard F. , Ganss Ruth
Published: June 2015

Reduction of vascular RGS5 causes hypertension and preeclampsia, which can be reversed by PPAR agonist treatment in mouse models.
A screen of approved drugs and molecular probes identifies therapeutics with anti–Ebola virus activity
Authors: Johansen Lisa M. , DeWald Lisa Evans , Shoemaker Charles J. , Hoffstrom Benjamin G. , Lear-Rooney Calli M. , Stossel Andrea , Nelson Elizabeth , Delos Sue E. , Simmons James A. , Grenier Jill M. , Pierce Laura T. , Pajouhesh Hassan , Lehár Joseph , Hensley Lisa E. , Glass Pamela J. , White Judith M. , Olinger Gene G.
Published: June 2015

Several FDA-approved drugs, including bepridil and sertraline, may be therapeutics against filovirus infections.
Citrullinated peptide dendritic cell immunotherapy in HLA risk genotype–positive rheumatoid arthritis patients
Authors: Benham Helen , Nel Hendrik J. , Law Soi Cheng , Mehdi Ahmed M. , Street Shayna , Ramnoruth Nishta , Pahau Helen , Lee Bernett T. , Ng Jennifer , G. Brunck Marion E. , Hyde Claire , Trouw Leendert A. , Dudek Nadine L. , Purcell Anthony W. , O’Sullivan Brendan J. , Connolly John E. , Paul Sanjoy K. , Lê Cao Kim-Anh , Thomas Ranjeny
Published: June 2015

Citrullinated peptide-exposed DCs induced immune regulatory effects in HLA risk genotype–positive RA patients.
α-Enolase–binding peptide enhances drug delivery efficiency and therapeutic efficacy against colorectal cancer
Authors: Wu Chien-Hsun , Kuo Yi-Huei , Hong Ruey-Long , Wu Han-Chung
Published: June 2015

α-Enolase–targeted lipid nanoparticles containing chemotherapeutic drugs are effective for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
Global implementation of genomic medicine: We are not alone
Authors: Manolio Teri A. , Abramowicz Marc , Al-Mulla Fahd , Anderson Warwick , Balling Rudi , Berger Adam C. , Bleyl Steven , Chakravarti Aravinda , Chantratita Wasun , Chisholm Rex L. , W. Dissanayake Vajira H. , Dunn Michael , Dzau Victor J. , Han Bok-Ghee , Hubbard Tim , Kolbe Anne , Korf Bruce , Kubo Michiaki , Lasko Paul , Leego Erkki , Mahasirimongkol Surakameth , Majumdar Partha P. , Matthijs Gert , McLeod Howard L. , Metspalu Andres , Meulien Pierre , Miyano Satoru , Naparstek Yaakov , O’Rourke P. Pearl , Patrinos George P. , Rehm Heidi L. , Relling Mary V. , Rennert Gad , Rodriguez Laura Lyman , Roden Dan M. , Shuldiner Alan R. , Sinha Sukdeb , Tan Patrick , Ulfendahl Mats , Ward Robyn , Williams Marc S. , L. Wong John E. , Green Eric D. , Ginsburg Geoffrey S.
Published: June 2015

Human-genomics programs work together worldwide to speed the translation of genomic medicine to the clinic.
Stem cells in gels
Authors: Brennand Kristen
Published: June 2015

Transplanting stem cells with a hyaluronan and methylcellulose hydrogel improves cell survival and integration in the retina and brain.
TERT, cancer, scissors
Authors: Nalepa Grzegorz
Published: June 2015

In vivo studies reveal a clinically relevant connection between spliceosome mutations, telomere erosion, and cancer.
Why some fish don’t tan
Authors: Traverso Giovanni
Published: June 2015

Discovery of a UV-protective biosynthetic pathway in vertebrates might drive development of a small-molecule sunscreen.
Original antigenic sin strikes again?
Authors: Wang Taia T.
Published: June 2015

Early exposure to an H1 subtype influenza virus may decrease immunity against current H1 viruses in middle-aged adults.