bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of Nordic school meals on concentration and school performance in 8- to 11-year-old children in the OPUS School Meal Study: a cluster-randomised, controlled, cross-over trial
Authors: Sørensen Louise B. , Dyssegaard Camilla B. , Damsgaard Camilla T. , Petersen Rikke A. , Dalskov Stine-Mathilde , Hjorth Mads F. , Andersen Rikke , Tetens Inge , Ritz Christian , Astrup Arne , Lauritzen Lotte , Michaelsen Kim F. , Egelund Niels
Published: March 2015

It is widely assumed that nutrition can improve school performance in children; however, evidence remains limited and inconclusive. In the present study, we investigated whether serving healthy school meals influenced concentration and school performance of 8- to 11-year-old Danish children. The OPUS (Optimal well-being, development and health for Danish children through a healthy New Nordic Diet) School Meal Study was a cluster-randomised, controlled, cross-over trial comparing a healthy school meal programme with the usual packed lunch from home (control) each for 3 months (NCT 01457794). The d2 test of attention, the Learning Rating Scale (LRS) and standard tests on reading and mathematics proficiency were administered at baseline and at the end of each study period. Intervention effects were evaluated using hierarchical mixed models. The school meal intervention did not influence concentration performance (CP; primary outcome, n 693) or processing speed; however, the decrease in error percentage was 0·18 points smaller (P< 0·001) in the intervention period than in the control period (medians: baseline 2·03 %; intervention 1·46 %; control 1·37 %). In contrast, the intervention increased reading speed (0·7 sentence, P= 0·009) and the number of correct sentences (1·8 sentences, P< 0·001), which corresponded to 11 and 25 %, respectively, of the effect of one school year. The percentage of correct sentences also improved (P< 0·001), indicating that the number correct improved relatively more than reading speed. There was no effect on overall math performance or outcomes from the LRS. In conclusion, school meals did not affect CP, but improved reading performance, which is a complex cognitive activity that involves inference, and increased errors related to impulsivity and inattention. These findings are worth examining in future trials.
The Pulse in the Machine: Automating Tibetan Diagnostic Palpation in Postsocialist Russia
Authors: Chudakova Tatiana
Published: March 2015

This article analyzes efforts by Soviet and present-day scientists in Russia to “rationalize” and ultimately automate the diagnostic techniques of Tibetan medicine. It tracks the institutional and conceptual histories of designing a pulse diagnostic system, a project that began in the Soviet Union in the early 1980s. It has recently been re-enlivened in Buryatia, an ethnic minority region in Southeastern Siberia, in efforts to mobilize indigenous medical practices in response to local and national public health concerns. I focus on the translational ideologies that informed efforts to develop the pulsometer as a medical imaging technology, and analyze obstacles to these efforts found at the core of the device. Scientists working on the pulsometer have systematically tried to discern whether their measurements indicate sustained bodily pathologies, or instead reflect only technological white noise, and they still recruit and rely on the embodied expertise of practitioners of Tibetan medicine to validate their findings. In so doing they reaffirm claims that Tibetan medicine in Buryatia is inextricable from the forms of knowledge and practice that their projects work to standardize. I show how the apparent failures at perfect mechanization have made the pulsometer a surprisingly productive site for creating new kinds of expert communities and forms of knowledge making.
Internal Violence: The “Police Action” in Hyderabad
Authors: Purushotham Sunil
Published: March 2015

Through an examination of the September 1948 event known as the “Police Action,” this article argues that “internal violence” was an important engine of state formation in India in the period following independence in 1947. The mid-century ruptures in the subcontinent were neither incidental to nor undermining of the nascent Indian nation-state project—they were constitutive events through which a new state and regime of sovereignty emerged. A dispersal and mobilization of violence in and around the princely state of Hyderabad culminated in an event of violence directed primarily at Hyderabad's Muslims during and just after the Police Action. This violent mediation of the incorporation of India's Muslims into the postcolonial order left significant legacies in subsequent decades. These events in the heart of peninsular India, and the processes behind them, have remained largely invisible or obscured in the historical record. Here I substantially revise the historiography of what happened in Hyderabad, and draw on my findings to offer an alternative perspective on decolonization in India.
Sovereign Violence: Temple Destruction in India and Shrine Desecration in Iran and Central Asia
Authors: Moin A. Azfar
Published: March 2015

Was the destruction of Sufi and ‘Alid saint shrines as a rite of conquest in Iran and Central Asia a phenomenon comparable to the desecration of temples in war in India? With this question in mind, this essay examines the changing nature of Islamic kingship in premodern Iran and Central Asia and compares it to developments in Indic kingship. It begins with the thesis that the decline of the caliphate and the rise of Muslim saints and shrines in thirteenth-century Iran and Central Asia led to a new form of “shrine-centered” sovereignty practiced by the rulers of these regions. This development, in turn, gave rise to a notable pattern in which Muslim kings threatened or attacked the shrines of their enemies’ patron saints in times of war. A focus on this ritual violence, which remains neglected in the studies of Islamic iconoclasm and jihad, reveals how the protocols of violence and accommodation that governed these Muslim milieus became analogous to those enacted by Indic kings who also sacked temples of rival sovereigns in times of war. With the spread of Muslim shrines and the related belief that the “real” sovereign was not the caliph but the enshrined saint, Islam and Hinduism developed comparable grammars of “gifting” and “looting.” This argument allows for a new, transcultural perspective to examine the premodern history of India, Iran, and Central Asia, connected by the rise of Muslim saints and their shrines.
Between Boko Haram and the Joint Task Force: Assessing the Dilemma of Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights in Northern Nigeria
Authors: Sampson Isaac Terwase
Published: March 2015

This article seeks to examine the paradox of Boko Haram terrorism and Nigeria's counter-terrorism efforts, personified by the Joint Task Force (JTF). While posing the challenge of human rights abuses by the JTF in its counter-Boko Haram operations, the article contends that, whereas the terrorists' activities violate the rights of victims, the JTF's actions have also resulted in significant human rights abuses against innocent civilians. It argues that, despite Nigeria's obligations under the plenitude of international human rights treaties, non-domestication of these treaties by Nigeria has rendered them insignificant. The article therefore recommends alternative approaches to this challenge. Nigeria should domesticate the catalogue of international human rights instruments to which it has acceded, enact rules of engagement for law enforcement operations by security forces, develop a counter-terrorism strategy that is subject to robust engagement with all stakeholders, and strengthen its existing human rights accountability mechanisms, such as the law courts, legislature and National Human Rights Commission.
The efficacy of tonsillectomy in chronic tonsillitis patients as demonstrated by the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio
Authors: Yenigun A
Published: March 2015

Objectives:

Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy are the oldest surgical procedures. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is an inflammatory marker. This study aimed to investigate neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios in chronic tonsillitis patients and to determine whether this ratio reflects the pre- and post-operative inflammatory status in these patients.

Methods:

Patients and healthy individuals were assigned to four groups: the adenoid hypertrophy, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, chronic tonsillitis and control groups. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was calculated for each patient before surgery and one month post-surgery. Pre- and post-operative white blood cell, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios were compared both within and between groups.

Results:

Pre- and post-operative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios were significantly higher in the chronic tonsillitis group than in the adenoid hypertrophy and adenotonsillar hypertrophy groups (p< 0.01 andp< 0.05, respectively). In the chronic tonsillitis group, post-operative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios were significantly lower than pre-operative ratios (p= 0.045). The pre-operative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher in the chronic tonsillitis group than in the adenoid hypertrophy, adenotonsillar hypertrophy and control groups (p= 0.000). In contrast, there was no significant difference in post-operative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios among all groups (p= 0.584).

Conclusion:

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio measurement can be used in chronic tonsillitis patients as an effective auxiliary method for determining the necessity and timing of tonsillectomy and post-operative follow up, thereby helping prevent complications due to delayed or inadequate treatment.
Collimation of laser-produced plasmas using axial magnetic field
Authors: Roy Amitava , Harilal Sivanandan S. , Hassan Syed M. , Endo Akira , Mocek Tomas , Hassanein Ahmed
Published: March 2015

We investigated the expansion dynamics of laser-produced plasmas expanding into an axial magnetic field. Plasmas were generated by focusing 1.064 μm Nd:YAG laser pulses onto a planar tin target in vacuum and allowed to expand into a 0.5 T magnetic field where the field lines were aligned along the plume expansion direction. Gated images employing an intensified charge-coupled device showed focusing of the plasma plume, which were also compared with results, obtained using particle-in-cell modeling methods. The estimated density and temperature of the plasma plumes employing emission spectroscopy revealed significant changes in the presence and absence of the 0.5 T magnetic field. In the presence of the field, the electron temperature is increased with distance from the target, while the density showed opposite effects.
Detailed computation of hot-plasma atomic spectra
Authors: Pain Jean-Christophe , Gilleron Franck , Blenski Thomas
Published: March 2015

We present recent evolutions of the detailed opacity code SCO-RCG which combines statistical modelings of levels and lines with fine-structure calculations. The code now includes the Partially Resolved Transition Array model, which allows one to replace a complex transition array by a small-scale detailed calculation preserving energy and variance of the genuine transition array and yielding improved higher-order moments. An approximate method for studying the impact of strong magnetic field on opacity and emissivity was also recently implemented. The Zeeman line profile is modeled by fourth-order Gram-Charlier expansion series, which is a Gaussian multiplied by a linear combination of Hermite polynomials. Electron collisional line broadening is often modeled by a Lorentzian function and one has to calculate the convolution of a Lorentzian with Gram-Charlier distribution for a huge number of spectral lines. Since the numerical cost of the direct convolution would be prohibitive, we propose, to obtain the resulting profile, a fast and precise algorithm, relying on a representation of the Gaussian by cubic splines.
SPLINE ESTIMATION OF A SEMIPARAMETRIC GARCH MODEL
Authors: Liu Rong , Yang Lijian
Published: March 2015

The semiparametric GARCH (Generalized AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity) model of Yang (2006, Journal of Econometrics 130, 365–384) has combined the flexibility of a nonparametric link function with the dependence on infinitely many past observations of the classic GARCH model. We propose a cubic spline procedure to estimate the unknown quantities in the semiparametric GARCH model that is intuitively appealing due to its simplicity. The theoretical properties of the procedure are the same as the kernel procedure, while simulated and real data examples show that the numerical performance is either better than or comparable to the kernel method. The new method is computationally much more efficient than the kernel method and very useful for analyzing large financial time series data.
L'influence du contexte sociolinguistique minoritaire sur le maintien à domicile des aînés en milieu rural dévitalisé: le cas d’Acadieville au Nouveau-Brunswick
Authors: Simard Majella , Dupuis-Blanchard Suzanne , Villalon Lita , Gould Odette , Éthier Sophie , Gibbons et Caroline
Published: March 2015

New Brunswick is one of the provinces most affected by the aging of the population. Moreover, aging at home in Francophone minority communities is a major challenge in rural areas. The goal of this paper is to identify the main advantages and disadvantages of aging at home and to expose organizational strategies deployed by seniors and their families in order to promote aging in place. The case study is the method of analysis that we have recommended. Our methodology is based on content analysis of 13 semi-structured interviews with seniors and their children. The results show that family and community support, resourcefulness and resiliency, the practice of leisure activities as well as the living environment are among the principal means used by older adults to promote aging at home.
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation affects pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Karamali Maryam , Asemi Zatollah , Ahmadi-Dastjerdi Maedeh , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad
Published: March 2015

Objective

The present study was designed to assess the effects of Ca+vitamin D supplementation on pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Design

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among sixty women with GDM. Participants were divided into two groups to receive Ca+vitamin D supplements or placebo. Individuals in the Ca+vitamin D group (n 30) received 1000 mg Ca/d and two pearls containing 1250 µg (50 000 IU) of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) during the intervention (one at study baseline and another at day 21 of the intervention); those in the placebo group (n 30) received two placebos of vitamin D at the mentioned times and placebos of Ca every day for 6 weeks. Pregnancy outcomes were determined.

Setting

A urban community setting in Arak, Iran.

Subjects

Sixty women with GDM and their newborns, living in Arak, Iran were enrolled.

Results

Women treated with Ca+vitamin D had a significant decrease in caesarean section rate (23·3 % v. 63·3 %, P=0·002) and maternal hospitalization (0 v. 13·3 %, P=0·03) compared with those receiving placebo. In addition, newborns of GDM women randomized to Ca+vitamin D had no case of macrosomia, while the prevalence of macrosomia among those randomized to placebo was 13·3 % (P=0·03). Lower rates of hyperbilirubinaemia (20·0 % v. 56·7 %, P=0·03) and hospitalization (20·0 % v. 56·7 %, P=0·03) were also seen in the supplemented group of newborns than in the placebo group.

Conclusions

Ca+vitamin D supplementation for 6 weeks among pregnant women with GDM led to decreased caesarean section rate and maternal hospitalization, and decreased macrosomia, hyperbilirubinaemia and hospitalization in newborns.
High efficiency UWB pulse generator for ultra-low-power applications
Authors: Vauche Remy , Bourdel Sylvain , Dehaese Nicolas , Gaubert Jean , Ramos Sparrow Oswaldo , Muhr Eloi , Barthelemy Herve
Published: March 2015

This paper presents the design of a fully integrated ultra-low-power Ultra Wide Band (UWB) pulse generator. The circuit is designed and optimized for low rate and localization applications. This UWB transmitter is based on the impulse response filter method in order to achieve high energy sub-nanosecond pulses. The circuit has been integrated in a ST-Microelectronics CMOS 0.13 μm technology with a supply voltage of 1.2 V on a die area of 0.56 mm2. A power manager is used to reduce the power leakages to 3.91 μW which gives a power consumption of 3.98 Mw at 10 kb/s. The measured dynamic energy consumed per pulse is 68 pJ and the measured energy of the emitted pulse is 2.15 pJ.
Diagnoseeröffnung und Begleitung
Authors: Bopp-Kistler Irene
Published: March 2015

Vor der Diagnoseeröffnung geht sowohl für die Demenzerkrankten, wie aber auch für ihre Angehörigen eine lange Zeit der Unsicherheit, der Verunsicherung, der Angst, der Zweifel, aber auch von Konflikten voraus. Der Beginn einer neurodegnerativen Erkrankung ist immer mit sehr vielen offenen Fragen verbunden. Wenn jüngere Patienten noch im Berufsleben stehen, löst bereits das Stadium des Mild Cognitive Impairment Fehlleistungen, Burnout, Mobbing, Depression und Krankschreibung aus. In der Partnerschaft entstehen Konflikte und Schuldzuweisungen. Es ist viel zu wenig bekannt, dass meist diese Probleme auf Beziehungsebene belastender sind als die typischen Defizite, die auf die Demenzerkrankung zurückzuführen sind. Es besteht leider immer noch die Meinung, dass sich eine Abklärung und Diagnosestellung nur bei Krankheiten lohnt, die auch behandelbar sind. Ziel jeder evidenzbasierten Medizin sollte es aber sein, den Patienten und ihren Angehörigen eine möglichst gute Lebensqualität zu geben. Und diese Forderung ist besonders bezüglich Demenzdiagnose zu stellen. Ein offenes Diagnoseeröffnungsgespräch ermöglicht es den Patienten und ihren Angehörigen, sich mit der Situation auseinander zu setzen, miteinander Lösungsstrategien zu suchen in der herausfordernden Situation einer Demenzerkrankung, die immer das ganze familiäre und soziale System betrifft. Der Patient hat das Recht auf Information über seine Diagnose, das gilt auch für die Demenzerkrankten. Das Diagnosegespräch erfordert Zeit und höchste Professionalität, das Wissen um die individuellen Defizite und Ressourcen, die soziale Situation und die Biographie und Persönlichkeit der Patienten, aber auch ihrer Angehörigen. Das Diagnosegespräch löst viele Emotionen aus, es ist wichtig auf diese einzugehen und diese auch aufzunehmen. Primär sollte mit dem Patienten gesprochen werden, aber möglichst im Beisein der Angehörigen, wichtig dabei ist die Wertschätzung des Demenzerkrankten auch bei Anosognosie. Den Angehörigen sollten nicht Ratschläge gegeben werden, sondern es sollte in einem therapeutischen Gespräch auf ihre Gefühle des permanenten Abschiednehmens der geliebten Person eingegangen werden, auf ihre Trauer und Wut. Erst dann wird die Grundlage gelegt, damit gemeinsam im Sinne eines verhaltenstherapeutisch-systemischen Settings Lösungsstrategien gefunden werden können. Begleitung von Demenzerkrankten und ihren Angehörigen bedeutet somit nicht nur Case-Management und Beratung, wobei auch dies von großer Wichtigkeit ist, sondern sich Einlassen auf die veränderte Beziehung und Situation. Dann kann Resilienz entstehen, welche Voraussetzung dafür ist, dass die langdauernde Krankheit, die mit einem permanenten Abschiednehmen verbunden ist, gemeistert werden kann.
Liquorbiomarker zur Frühdiagnostik der Alzheimerdemenz
Authors: Wiltfang Jens
Published: March 2015

Die Liquor-basierte neurochemische Demenzdiagnostik (CSF-NDD) wird zwischenzeitlich international von Demenzleitlinien (http://www.DGPPN.de) für die verbesserte Früh- und Differenzialdiagnostik der multigenetischen (sporadischen) Alzheimerdemenz (AD) empfohlen, und die CSF-NDD ist auf S3-Niveau Evidenz-basiert validiert. CSF-NDD bietet auch eine prädiktive Diagnostik der drohenden AD bei Hochrisikopatienten im Prodromalstadium der leichten kognitiven Beeinträchtigung („mild cognitive impairment“, MCI). Die Liquor-basierte prädiktive Demenzdiagnostik – jetzt auch in Kombination mit F18-Amyloid-PET – hat einen hohen Stellenwert für die klinische Therapieforschung, wird aber für die Routinediagnostik beispielsweise von den deutschen neuropsychiatrischen Fachgesellschaften (DGPPN/DGN) noch nicht empfohlen, da bisher keine (sekundär)präventive Therapie der AD zur Verfügung steht. Zwischenzeitlich zeichnen sich erste Ansätze einer Blut-basierten molekularen Frühdiagnostik der AD mittels Multiplex-Assays ab, die aber bisher noch nicht konsistent von unabhängigen Arbeitsgruppen validiert werden konnten. Entsprechend steht für die klinische Diagnostik im Gegensatz zur CSF-NDD eine Blut-basierte Diagnostik neurodegenerativer Demenzen noch nicht zur Verfügung.
Neue Therapieansätze
Authors: Kurz Alexander , Grimmer Timo
Published: March 2015

Die häufigsten Ursachen der Demenz sind fortschreitende und irreversible neurodegenerative Krankheiten des Gehirns. An erster Stelle steht die Alzheimer-Krankheit, gefolgt von Parkinson- und Lewy-Körper-Krankheit und den Frontotemporalen lobären Degenerationen. Die neurodegenerativen Prozesse sind durch die Entstehung, Zusammenballung und Ablagerung von pathologischen Proteinen gekennzeichnet. Diese sind β-Amyloid und Tau bei der Alzheimer-Krankheit; α-Synuklein bei der Parkinson- und Lewy-Körper-Krankheit sowie Tau, TDP-43 und FUS bei den Frontotemporalen Degenerationen. Die Aggregation zu Oligomeren und Fibrillen sowie die nachfolgende Sedimentierung dieser Proteine führen zur Funktionsstörung von Nervenzellen, zum Versagen von synaptischen Verbindungen und schließlich zum Zelluntergang. Die Defizite und Imbalancen von Neurotransmittersystemen, die einen wichtigen Ansatzpunkt der derzeitigen pharmakologischen Therapie der Demenz darstellen, sind Folgen des Nervenzelluntergangs. Viele der neuen, in Entwicklung befindlichen Therapieansätze sind darauf gerichtet, die Entstehung, Zusammenballung und Ablagerung pathologischer Proteine zu verhindern, zu verlangsamen oder abzumildern. Wichtige Strategien sind Hemmung der Sekretasen, die β-Amyloid generieren, aktive und passive Immunisierung gegen β-Amyloid, Hemmung der Aggregation von β-Amyloid und Tau sowie Stimulierung des aktiven Transports von β-Amyloid aus dem Gehirn. In klinischer Prüfung befinden sich auch neue symptomatische Therapieformen einschließlich der simultanen Stimulation mehrerer Neurotransmittersysteme, des Ausgleichs der zerebralen Insulinresistenz und der Neuroprotektion mittels spezieller Nahrungsbestandteile. Neben den pharmakologischen Behandlungsformen werden auch nicht-medikamentöse Interventionen weiterentwickelt.
Expertenschmiede Primäre Pflege
Authors: Holzleitner Maria
Published: March 2015

Wie kann man Verantwortungsübernahme im Sinne der Primären Pflege bereits in der Ausbildung fördern? Sowohl im Theorieunterricht wie auch in der praktischen Ausbildung gibt es vielfältige methodische Möglichkeiten. Um Theorie und Praxis zu verknüpfen ist agieren in einer möglichst berufsbezogenen Lernumgebung einschließlich einer gezielten Reflexion bedeutsam. Die Schülerinnen und Schüler des Abschlusskurses SayaBantu konnten mit Hilfe von Laienschauspielern verantwortliches Handeln als Primäre Pflegekräfte in fallbeispielbezogenen Rollenspielen erproben.
Kinder-/Krankenpflegeschulen im Blickpunkt
Authors: Kraft Carola , Lehmann Yvonne
Published: March 2015

Die Informationslage zu den Pflegeausbildungsstrukturen und -bedingungen hierzulande ist defizitär. Die vorzustellende Untersuchung bietet Einblicke in die aktuelle Situation in den Kinder-/Krankenpflegeschulen eines Bundeslandes.
A robust and rapid xenograft model to assess efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents for human acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Saland E , Boutzen H , Castellano R , Pouyet L , Griessinger E , Larrue C , de Toni F , Scotland S , David M , Danet-Desnoyers G , Vergez F , Barreira Y , Collette Y , Récher C , Sarry J-E
Published: March 2015

Relevant preclinical mouse models are crucial to screen new therapeutic agents for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Current in vivo models based on the use of patient samples are not easy to establish and manipulate in the laboratory. Our objective was to develop robust xenograft models of human AML using well-characterized cell lines as a more accessible and faster alternative to those incorporating the use of patient-derived AML cells. Five widely used AML cell lines representing various AML subtypes were transplanted and expanded into highly immunodeficient non-obese diabetic/LtSz-severe combined immunodeficiency IL2Rγcnull mice (for example, cell line-derived xenografts). We show here that bone marrow sublethal conditioning with busulfan or irradiation has equal efficiency for the xenotransplantation of AML cell lines. Although higher number of injected AML cells did not change tumor engraftment in bone marrow and spleen, it significantly reduced the overall survival in mice for all tested AML cell lines. On the basis of AML cell characteristics, these models also exhibited a broad range of overall mouse survival, engraftment, tissue infiltration and aggressiveness. Thus, we have established a robust, rapid and straightforward in vivo model based on engraftment behavior of AML cell lines, all vital prerequisites for testing new therapeutic agents in preclinical studies.
Priority effects during fungal community establishment in beech wood
Authors: Hiscox Jennifer , Savoury Melanie , Müller Carsten T , Lindahl Björn D , Rogers Hilary J , Boddy Lynne
Published: March 2015

Assembly history of fungal communities has a crucial role in the decomposition of woody resources, and hence nutrient cycling and ecosystem function. However, it has not been clearly determined whether the fungal species that arrive first may, potentially, dictate the subsequent pathway of community development, that is, whether there is a priority effect at the species level. We used traditional culture-based techniques coupled with sequencing of amplified genetic markers to profile the fungal communities in beech (Fagus sylvatica) disks that had been pre-colonised separately with nine species from various stages of fungal succession. Clear differences in community composition were evident following pre-colonisation by different species with three distinct successor communities identified, indicating that individual species may have pivotal effects in driving assembly history. Priority effects may be linked to biochemical alteration of the resource and combative ability of the predecessor.
Coherent creation and destruction of orbital wavepackets in Si:P with electrical and optical read-out
Authors: Litvinenko K.L. , Bowyer E.T. , Greenland P.T. , Stavrias N. , Li Juerong , Gwilliam R. , Villis B.J. , Matmon G. , Pang M.L.Y. , Redlich B. , van der Meer A.F.G. , Pidgeon C.R. , Aeppli G. , Murdin B.N.
Published: March 2015

The ability to control dynamics of quantum states by optical interference, and subsequent electrical read-out, is crucial for solid state quantum technologies. Ramsey interference has been successfully observed for spins in silicon and nitrogen vacancy centres in diamond, and for orbital motion in InAs quantum dots. Here we demonstrate terahertz optical excitation, manipulation and destruction via Ramsey interference of orbital wavepackets in Si:P with electrical read-out. We show milliradian control over the wavefunction phase for the two-level system formed by the 1s and 2p states. The results have been verified by all-optical echo detection methods, sensitive only to coherent excitations in the sample. The experiments open a route to exploitation of donors in silicon for atom trap physics, with concomitant potential for quantum computing schemes, which rely on orbital superpositions to, for example, gate the magnetic exchange interactions between impurities.
Humidity-enhanced wet adhesion on insect-inspired fibrillar adhesive pads
Authors: Xue Longjian , Kovalev Alexander , Eichler-Volf Anna , Steinhart Martin , Gorb Stanislav N.
Published: March 2015

Many insect species reversibly adhere to surfaces by combining contact splitting (contact formation via fibrillar contact elements) and wet adhesion (supply of liquid secretion via pores in the insects’ feet). Here, we fabricate insect-inspired fibrillar pads for wet adhesion containing continuous pore systems through which liquid is supplied to the contact interfaces. Synergistic interaction of capillarity and humidity-induced pad softening increases the pull-off force and the work of adhesion by two orders of magnitude. This increase and the independence of pull-off force on the applied load are caused by the capillarity-supported formation of solid–solid contact between pad and the surface. Solid–solid contact dominates adhesion at high humidity and capillarity at low humidity. At low humidity, the work of adhesion strongly depends on the amount of liquid deposited on the surface and, therefore, on contact duration. These results may pave the way for the design of insect-inspired adhesive pads.
Sedimentary geology of the middle Carboniferous of the Donbas region (Dniepr-Donets basin, Ukraine)
Authors: van Hinsbergen Douwe J. J. , Abels Hemmo A. , Bosch Wolter , Boekhout Flora , Kitchka Alexander , Hamers Maartje , van der Meer Douwe G. , Geluk Mark , Stephenson Randell A.
Published: March 2015

The Paleozoic Dniepr-Donets Basin in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia forms a major hydrocarbon province. Although well- and seismic data have established a 20 km thick stratigraphy, field-studies of its sediments are scarce. The inverted Donbas segment (Ukraine) exposes the middle Carboniferous part of the basin's stratigraphy. Here, we provide detailed sedimentological data from 13 sections that cover 1.5 of the total of 5 km of the Bashkirian and Moscovian stages and assess the paleoenvironment and paleo-current directions. Middle Carboniferous deposition occurred in a shelf environment, with coal deposition, subordinate fluvial facies and abundant lower and middle shoreface facies, comprising an intercalated package of potential source and reservoir rocks. Sedimentary facies indicate a paleodepth range from below storm wave base to near-coastal swamp environments. Sedimentation and subsidence were hence in pace, with subtle facies changes likely representing relative sea-level changes. Paleocurrent directions are remarkably consistently southeastward in time and space in the different sedimentary facies across the Donbas Fold Belt, illustrating a dominant sedimentary infill along the basin axis, with little basin margin influence. This suggests that the middle Carboniferous stratigraphy of the Dniepr-Donets basin to the northwest probably contains significant amounts of fluvial sandstones, important for assessing hydrocarbon reservoir potential.
Isolation of high-purity myenteric plexus from adult human and mouse gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Grundmann David , Klotz Markus , Rabe Holger , Glanemann Matthias , Schäfer Karl-Herbert
Published: March 2015

The enteric nervous system (ENS) orchestrates a broad range of important gastrointestinal functions such as intestinal motility and gastric secretion. The ENS can be affected by environmental factors, diet and disease. Changes due to these alterations are often hard to evaluate in detail when whole gut samples are used. Analyses based on pure ENS tissue can more effectively reflect the ongoing changes during pathological processes. Here, we present an optimized approach for the isolation of pure myenteric plexus (MP) from adult mouse and human. To do so, muscle tissue was individually digested with a purified collagenase. After incubation and a gentle mechanical disruption step, MP networks could be collected with anatomical integrity. These tissues could be stored and used either for immediate genomic, proteomic or in vitro approaches and enteric neurospheres could be generated and differentiated. In a pilot experiment, the influence of bacterial lipopolysaccharide on human MP was analyzed using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The method also allows investigation of factors that are secreted by myenteric tissue in vitro. The isolation of pure MP in large amounts allows new analytical approaches that can provide a new perspective in evaluating changes of the ENS in experimental models, human disease and aging.
Oligomerized, filamentous surface presentation of RANTES/CCL5 on vascular endothelial cells
Authors: Øynebråten Inger , Barois Nicolas , Bergeland Trygve , Küchler Axel M. , Bakke Oddmund , Haraldsen Guttorm
Published: March 2015

Vascular endothelial cells present luminal chemokines that arrest rolling leukocytes by activating integrins. It appears that several chemokines must form higher-order oligomers to elicit proper in vivo effects, as mutants restricted to forming dimers have lost the ability to recruit leukocytes to sites of inflammation. Here, we show for the first time that the chemokine RANTES/CCL5 binds to the surface of human endothelial cells in a regular filamentous pattern. Furthermore, the filaments bound to the surface in a heparan sulfate-dependent manner. By electron microscopy we observed labeling for RANTES on membrane projections as well as on the remaining plasma membrane. Mutant constructs of RANTES restricted either in binding to heparin, or in forming dimers or tetramers, appeared either in a granular, non-filamentous pattern or were not detectable on the cell surface. The RANTES filaments were also present after exposure to flow, suggesting that they can be present in vivo. Taken together with the lacking in vivo or in vitro effects of RANTES mutants, we suggest that the filamentous structures of RANTES may be of physiological importance in leukocyte recruitment.
Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry platform for both small neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in blood, with automatic and robust solid phase extraction
Authors: Johnsen Elin , Leknes Siri , Wilson Steven Ray , Lundanes Elsa
Published: March 2015

Neurons communicate via chemical signals called neurotransmitters (NTs). The numerous identified NTs can have very different physiochemical properties (solubility, charge, size etc.), so quantification of the various NT classes traditionally requires several analytical platforms/methodologies. We here report that a diverse range of NTs, e.g. peptides oxytocin and vasopressin, monoamines adrenaline and serotonin and amino acid GABA, can be simultaneously identified/measured in small samples, using an analytical platform based on liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The automated platform is cost-efficient as manual sample preparation steps and one-time-use equipment are kept to a minimum. Zwitter-ionic HILIC stationary phases were used for both on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography (capillary format, cLC). This approach enabled compounds from all NT classes to elute in small volumes producing sharp and symmetric signals and allowing precise quantifications of small samples, demonstrated with whole blood (100 microliters per sample). An additional robustness-enhancing feature is automatic filtration/filter back-flushing (AFFL), allowing hundreds of samples to be analyzed without any parts needing replacement. The platform can be installed by simple modification of a conventional LC-MS system.
Elevated CO2 shifts the functional structure and metabolic potentials of soil microbial communities in a C4 agroecosystem
Authors: Xiong Jinbo , He Zhili , Shi Shengjing , Kent Angela , Deng Ye , Wu Liyou , Van Nostrand Joy D. , Zhou Jizhong
Published: March 2015

Atmospheric CO2 concentration is continuously increasing and previous studies have shown that elevated CO2 (eCO2) significantly impacts C3 plants and their soil microbial communities. However, little is known about effects of eCO2 on the compositional and functional structure and metabolic potential of soil microbial communities under C4 plants. Here we showed that a C4 maize agroecosystem exposed to eCO2 for eight years shifted the functional and phylogenetic structure of soil microbial communities at both soil depths (0–5 cm and 5–15 cm) using EcoPlate and functional gene array (GeoChip 3.0) analyses. The abundances of key genes involved in carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling were significantly stimulated under eCO2 at both soil depths, although some differences in carbon utilization patterns were observed between the two soil depths. Consistently, CO2 was found to be the dominant factor explaining 11.9% of the structural variation of functional genes, while depth and the interaction of depth and CO2 explained 5.2% and 3.8%, respectively. This study implies that eCO2 has profound effects on the functional structure and metabolic potential/activity of soil microbial communities associated with C4 plants, possibly leading to changes in ecosystem functioning and feedbacks to global change in C4 agroecosystems.
Hypergravity exposure during gestation modifies the TCRβ repertoire of newborn mice
Authors: Ghislin Stéphanie , Ouzren-Zarhloul Nassima , Kaminski Sandra , Frippiat Jean-Pol
Published: March 2015

During spaceflight, organisms are subjected to mechanical force changes (gravity (G) changes) that affect the immune system. However, gravitational effects on lymphopoiesis have rarely been studied. Consequently, we investigated whether the TCRβ repertoire, created by V(D)J recombination during T lymphopoiesis, is affected by hypergravity exposure during murine development. To address this question, C57BL/6j mice were mated in a centrifuge so that embryonic development, birth and TCRβ rearrangements occurred at 2G. Pups were sacrificed at birth and their thymus used to quantify transcripts coding for factors required for V(D)J recombination and T lymphopoiesis. We also created cDNA mini-libraries of TCRβ transcripts to study the impact of hypergravity on TCRβ diversity. Our data show that hypergravity exposure increases the transcription of TCRβ chains and of genes whose products are involved in TCR signaling and affects the V(D)J recombination process. We also observed that ~85% of the TCRβ repertoire is different between hypergravity and control pups. These data indicate that changing a mechanical force (the gravity) during ontogeny will likely affect host immunity because properties of loops constituting TCR antigen-binding sites are modified in hypergravity newborns. The spectrum of peptides recognized by TCR will therefore likely be different.
Molecular Design of Near-IR Dyes with Different Surface Energy for Selective Loading to the Heterojunction in Blend Films
Authors: Xu Huajun , Wada Takaaki , Ohkita Hideo , Benten Hiroaki , Ito Shinzaburo
Published: March 2015

We have synthesized three silicon phthalocyanine dyes with different hydrophobic substituents in order to control surface energy in the solid state, aiming at selective loading of the dyes into blend films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and polystyrene (PS). These three dyes are differently located at P3HT domains, at P3HT/PS interface and at PS domains, respectively, which are fully consistent with the locations predicted by the wetting coefficient derived from the surface energy of each material.
The Relationship Between Lower Limb Bone and Muscle in Military Recruits, Response to Physical Training and Influence of Smoking Status
Authors: Puthucheary Zudin , Kordi Mehdi , Rawal Jai , Eleftheriou Kyriacos I. , Payne John , Montgomery Hugh E.
Published: March 2015

The relationship between bone and skeletal muscle mass may be affected by physical training. No studies have prospectively examined the bone and skeletal muscle responses to a short controlled exercise-training programme. We hypothesised that a short exercise-training period would affect muscle and bone mass together. Methods: Femoral bone and Rectus femoris Volumes (RFVOL) were determined by magnetic resonance imaging in 215 healthy army recruits and bone mineral density (BMD) by Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) and repeated after 12 weeks of regulated physical training. Results: Pre-training, RFVOL was smaller in smokers than non-smokers (100.9 ± 20.2 vs. 108.7 ± 24.5, p = 0.018; 96.2 ± 16.9 vs. 104.8 ± 21.3, p = 0.002 for dominant/non-dominant limbs), although increases in RFVOL with training (of 14.2 ± 14.5% and 13.2 ± 15.6%] respectively, p < 0.001) were independent of prior smoking status. Pre-training RFVOL was related to bone cortical volume (r2 = 0.21 and 0.30, p < 0.001 for dominant and non-dominant legs) and specifically to periosteal (r2 = 0.21 and 0.23, p < 0.001) volume. Pre-training dominant RFVOL was independently associated with Total Hip BMD (p < 0.001). Training-related increases in RFVOL and bone volumes were related. Whilst smokers demonstrated lower muscle mass than non-smokers, differences were abolished with training. Training-related increases in muscle mass were related to increases in periosteal bone volume in both dominant and non-dominant legs.
Transcriptome comparison of the sex pheromone glands from two sibling Helicoverpa species with opposite sex pheromone components
Authors: Li Zhao-Qun , Zhang Shuai , Luo Jun-Yu , Wang Chun-Yi , Lv Li-Min , Dong Shuang-Lin , Cui Jin-Jie
Published: March 2015

Differences in sex pheromone component can lead to reproductive isolation. The sibling noctuid species, Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa assulta, share the same two sex pheromone components, Z9-16:Ald and Z11-16:Ald, but in opposite ratios, providing an typical example of such reproductive isolation. To investigate how the ratios of the pheromone components are differently regulated in the two species, we sequenced cDNA libraries from the pheromone glands of H. armigera and H. assulta. After assembly and annotation, we identified 108 and 93 transcripts putatively involved in pheromone biosynthesis, transport and degradation in H. armigera and H. assulta, respectively. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR, qRT-PCR, phylogenetic and mRNA abundance analyses suggested that some of these transcripts involved in the sex pheromone biosynthesis pathways perform. Based on these results, we postulate that the regulation of desaturases, KPSE and LPAQ, might be key factor regulating the opposite component ratios in the two sibling moths. In addition, our study has yielded large-scale sequence information for further studies and can be used to identify potential targets for the bio-control of these species by disrupting their sexual communication.
Rich stoichiometries of stable Ca-Bi system: Structure prediction and superconductivity
Authors: Dong Xu , Fan Changzeng
Published: March 2015

Using a variable-composition ab initio evolutionary algorithm implemented in the USPEX code, we have performed a systematic search for stable compounds in the Ca-Bi system at different pressures. In addition to the well-known tI12-Ca2Bi and oS12-CaBi2, a few more structures were found by our calculations, among which phase transitions were also predicted in Ca2Bi (tI12 → oI12 → hP6), Ca3Bi2 (hP5 → mC20 → aP5) and CaBi (tI2 → tI8), as well as a new phase (Ca3Bi) with a cF4 structure. All the newly predicted structures can be both dynamically and thermodynamically stable with increasing pressure. The superconductive properties of cF4-CaBi3, tI2-CaBi and cF4-Ca3Bi were studied and the superconducting critical temperature Tc can be as high as 5.16, 2.27 and 5.25 K, respectively. Different superconductivity behaviors with pressure increasing have been observed by further investigations.
Switchable sensitizers stepwise lighting up lanthanide emissions
Authors: Zhang Yan , Jiao Peng-Chong , Xu Hai-Bing , Tang Ming-Jing , Yang Xiao-Ping , Huang Shaoming , Deng Jian-Guo
Published: March 2015

Analagous to a long-ranged rocket equipped with multi-stage engines, a luminescent compound with consistent emission signals across a large range of concentrations from two stages of sensitizers can be designed. In this approach, ACQ, aggregation-caused quenching effect of sensitizers, would stimulate lanthanide emission below 10−4 M and then at concentrations higher than 10−3 M, the “aggregation-induced emission” (AIE) effect of luminophores would be activated with the next set of sensitizers for lanthanide emission. Simultaneously, the concentration of the molecules could be monitored digitally by the maximal excitation wavelengths, due to the good linear relationship between the maximal excitation wavelengths and the concentrations {lg(M)}. This model, wherein molecules are assembled with two stages (both AIE and ACQ effect) of sensitizers, may provide a practicable strategy for design and construction of smart lanthanide bioprobes, which are suitable in complicated bioassay systems in which concentration is variable.
The bacterial communities associated with fecal types and body weight of rex rabbits
Authors: Zeng Bo , Han Shushu , Wang Ping , Wen Bin , Jian Wensu , Guo Wei , Yu Zhiju , Du Dan , Fu Xiangchao , Kong Fanli , Yang Mingyao , Si Xiaohui , Zhao Jiangchao , Li Ying
Published: March 2015

Rex rabbit is an important small herbivore for fur and meat production. However, little is known about the gut microbiota in rex rabbit, especially regarding their relationship with different fecal types and growth of the hosts. We characterized the microbiota of both hard and soft feces from rex rabbits with high and low body weight by using the Illumina MiSeq platform targeting the V4 region of the 16S rDNA. High weight rex rabbits possess distinctive microbiota in hard feces, but not in soft feces, from the low weight group. We detected the overrepresentation of several genera such as YS2/Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidales and underrepresentation of genera such as Anaeroplasma spp. and Clostridiaceae in high weight hard feces. Between fecal types, several bacterial taxa such as Ruminococcaceae, and Akkermansia spp. were enriched in soft feces. PICRUSt analysis revealed that metabolic pathways such as “stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid, gingerol biosynthesis” were enriched in high weight rabbits and pathways related to “xenobiotics biodegradation” and “various types of N-glycan biosynthesis” were overrepresented in rabbit soft feces. Our study provides foundation to generate hypothesis aiming to test the roles that different bacterial taxa play in the growth and caecotrophy of rex rabbits.
Biochemical and Pharmacological Characterizations of ESI-09 Based EPAC Inhibitors: Defining the ESI-09 “Therapeutic Window”
Authors: Zhu Yingmin , Chen Haijun , Boulton Stephen , Mei Fang , Ye Na , Melacini Giuseppe , Zhou Jia , Cheng Xiaodong
Published: March 2015

The cAMP signaling cascade is one of the most frequently targeted pathways for the development of pharmaceutics. A plethora of recent genetic and pharmacological studies suggest that exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (EPACs) are implicated in multiple pathologies. Selective EPAC inhibitors have been recently developed. One specific inhibitor, ESI-09, has been shown to block EPAC activity and functions, as well as to recapitulate genetic phenotypes of EPAC knockout mice when applied in vivo. However, a recent study raised concern that ESI-09 might act as a non-specific protein denaturant. Herein, we present a detailed biochemical and pharmacological characterization, as well as a structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis of ESI-09. Our studies show that ESI-09 dose-dependently inhibits activity of both EPAC1 and EPAC2 with apparent IC50 values well below the concentrations shown to induce “protein denaturation”. Moreover, the ESI-09's action towards EPAC proteins is highly sensitive to minor modifications of the 3-chlorophenyl moiety. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ESI-09 indeed acts as an EPAC specific antagonist and does not significantly destabilize/denature proteins at pharmacological effective concentrations. This conclusion is further supported by NMR data showing that ESI-09 induces residue-dependent chemical shift changes at low concentrations, while preserving well dispersed peaks.