bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma amino‐terminal pro B‐type natriuretic peptide as a predictor of late cardiovascular mortality in patients with acute lung disorders: a prospective, observational cohort study
Authors: Koskela Heikki O. , Salonen Päivi H. , Romppanen Jarkko , Hartikainen Juha
Published: April 2015

Aims

Pneumonia and acute exacerbations of obstructive lung diseases (AEOLD) are associated with a significant long‐term mortality. Elevated level of amino‐terminal pro B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) is a predictor of late all‐cause mortality in these disorders but the pathophysiological basis for this is unknown. The present study was conducted to define the predictive role of NT‐proBNP on late cardiovascular mortality among patients with acute lung disorders.

Methods and results

This prospective, observational cohort study included 269 hospitalized patients with pneumonia or AEOLD. Plasma level of NT‐proBNP, age, sex, body mass index, arterial blood oxygen saturation, C‐reactive protein, and urea were recorded. The survival and causes of death were recorded after a median of six years. NT‐proBNP > 666 ng/mL was related to cardiovascular mortality with an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.93 (1.19–7.18). This risk was of similar magnitude to that associated with diabetes and greater than that associated with arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking. NT‐proBNP was also related to all‐cause mortality with adjusted hazard ratio of 2.39 (1.49–3.85) per 10 times increase in NT‐proBNP concentration. However, the association between NT‐proBNP and non‐cardiovascular mortality did not reach statistical significance [adjusted hazard ratio 1.89 (0.93–3.85)].

Conclusion

NT‐proBNP concentration during pneumonia or AEOLD was strongly associated with late cardiovascular mortality but not with non‐cardiovascular mortality. The results suggest that the increase in NT‐proBNP during acute lung disorders may reveal occult cardiac diseases arousing a question whether patients with acute pulmonary disorders with elevated NT‐proBNP levels should be subjected to further diagnostic or therapeutic cardiovascular interventions.
Rationale and design of a randomized, double‐blind, event‐driven, multicentre study comparing the efficacy and safety of oral rivaroxaban with placebo for reducing the risk of death, myocardial infarction or stroke in subjects with heart failure and significant coronary artery disease following an exacerbation of heart failure: the COMMANDER HF trial
Authors: Zannad Faiez , Greenberg Barry , Cleland John G.F. , Gheorghiade Mihai , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , Mehra Mandeep R. , Anker Stefan D. , Byra William M. , Fu Min , Mills Roger M.
Published: April 2015

Aims

Thrombin is a critical element of crosstalk between pathways contributing to worsening of established heart failure (HF). The aim of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban 2.5 mg bid compared with placebo (with standard care) after an exacerbation of HF in patients with reduced ejection fraction (HF‐rEF) and documented coronary artery disease.

Methods

This is an international prospective, multicentre, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, event‐driven study of approximately 5000 patients for a targeted 984 events. Patients must have a recent symptomatic exacerbation of HF, increased plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides (B‐type natriuretic peptide ≥200 pg/mL or N‐terminal pro–B‐type natriuretic peptide ≥800 pg/mL), with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40% and coronary artery disease. Patients requiring anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation or other conditions will be excluded. After an index event (overnight hospitalization, emergency department or observation unit admission, or unscheduled outpatient parenteral treatment for worsening HF), patients will be randomized 1:1 to rivaroxaban or placebo (with standard of care). The primary efficacy outcome event is a composite of all‐cause mortality, myocardial infarction or stroke. The principal safety outcome events are the composite of fatal bleeding or bleeding into a critical space with potential permanent disability, bleeding events requiring hospitalization and major bleeding events according to International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis bleeding criteria.

Conclusion

COMMANDER HF is the first prospective study of a target‐specific oral antithrombotic agent in HF. It will provide important information regarding rivaroxaban use following an HF event in an HF‐rEF patient population with coronary artery disease.
Contribution of phospholipids to the formation of fishy off‐odor and oxidative stability of soybean oil
Authors: Jiang Xiaofei , Jin Qingzhe , Wu Shimin , Wang Xingguo
Published: April 2015

The present study identified that trimethylamine (TMA) was the major source of fishy off‐odor in soybean oil, and the component of phosphatidylcholine (PC) was responsible for its formation. The existence of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidic acid (PA) in soybean oil could retard the deterioration of PC under heat treatment. Soybean phospholipids (SP) produced better results than soybean phosphatidylcholine (NPC) in inhibiting soybean oil oxidation. And soybean phospholipids stripped off phosphatidylcholine (SPSPC) turned out to be the least effective. The synergistic effect of PC and other phospholipids components in soybean oil could enhance the antioxidant ability of individual phospholipids components. The addition of SP and SPSPC could significantly deepen the color of soybean oils under heat treatment, while NPC would not result in color deepening. We come to a conclusion that PC could be an antioxidant in oil system, but more attention should be paid to the formation of TMA in its further application.

Practical applications: Knowledge of the effect of phospholipids on the formation of fishy off‐odor and oxidative stability in soybean oil is important, because it has been reported by many investigators that phospholipids can be used as a kind of natural antioxidants in oil system. The information of this work can help others to apply the phospholipids in oil industry more appropriately.

Soybean oil with addition of phospholipids would generate fishy off‐odor during storage, we identified that phosphatidylcholine contained in phospholipids was responsible for the formation of trimethylamine (fishy off‐odor) in soybean oil.
‘Virtual lesion’ in pain research; a study on magnetic stimulation of the primary motor cortex
Authors: Granovsky Y. , Liem K.S. , Weissman‐Fogel I. , Yarnitsky D. , Chistyakov A. , Sinai A.
Published: April 2015

Background

‘Virtual lesion’ (‘VL’) is a transient disruption of cortical activity during task performance. It can be induced by single pulses or short trains of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) directed to functionally relevant brain areas. We applied ‘VL’ methodology of a short train of TMS given on top of experimental tonic pain, expecting to see changes in pain scores.

Methods

Thirty young healthy subjects (15 women) were assessed with active (‘VL’) or ‘sham’ TMS in different sessions, randomly. In each session, 30 sec‐long contact heat (47.5 °C, right forearm) was applied stand‐alone (‘baseline’) and with 5 sec‐long 10 Hz‐TMS over left primary motor cortex (M1) starting at 17 sec of the heat stimulation.

Results

Pain scores decreased after ‘VL’ or ‘sham’ (p < 0.001). Independently of the type of TMS, pain reduction was stronger in women (p = 0.012). A triple Sex x Stimulation type (‘VL’ or ‘sham’) x Condition (‘baseline’ heat pain vs. heat pain with TMS) interaction (p = 0.027) indicated stronger pain reduction by ‘VL’ in women (p = 0.008) and not in men (p = 0.78) as compared to ‘baseline’. Pain catastrophizing and perceived stress ratings affected the model (p = 0.010 and p < 0.001, respectively), but without sex differences.

Conclusions

This study indicates that interactions between cortical excitability of the motor cortex and nociceptive processing may be gender‐related.
Full-life chronic toxicity of sodium salts to the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer in tests with laboratory cultured food
Authors: Soucek David J. , Dickinson Amy
Published: April 2015

Although insects occur in nearly all freshwater ecosystems, few sensitive insect models exist for use in determining the toxicity of contaminants. The objectives of the present study were to adapt previously developed culturing and toxicity testing methods for the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae), and to further develop a method for chronic toxicity tests spanning organism ages of less than 24 h post hatch to adult emergence, using a laboratory cultured diatom diet. The authors conducted 96-h fed acute tests and full-life chronic toxicity tests with sodium chloride, sodium nitrate, and sodium sulfate. The authors generated 96-h median lethal concentrations (LC50s) of 1062 mg Cl/L (mean of 3 tests), 179 mg N-NO3/L, and 1227 mg SO4/L. Acute to chronic ratios ranged from 2.1 to 6.4 for chloride, 2.5 to 5.1 for nitrate, and 2.3 to 8.5 for sulfate. The endpoints related to survival and development time were consistently the most sensitive in the tests. The chronic values generated for chloride were in the same range as those generated by others using natural foods. Furthermore, our weight-versus-fecundity plots were similar to those previously published using the food culturing method on which the present authors' method was based, indicating good potential for standardization. The authors believe that the continued use of this sensitive mayfly species in laboratory studies will help to close the gap in understanding between standard laboratory toxicity test results and field-based observations of community impairment . Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:2126–2137. © 2015 SETAC
Modeling development of inhibition zones in an agar diffusion bioassay
Authors: Chandrasekar Vaishnavi , Knabel Stephen J. , Anantheswaran Ramaswamy C.
Published: April 2015

A two‐temperature agar diffusion bioassay is commonly used to quantify the concentration of nisin using Micrococcus luteus as the indicator microorganism. A finite element computational model based on Fick's second law of diffusion was used to predict the radius of the inhibition zone in this diffusion bioassay. The model developed was used to calculate nisin concentration profiles as a function of time and position within the agar. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nisin against M. luteus was determined experimentally. The critical time (Tc) for growth of M. luteus within the agar diffusion bioassay was experimentally determined using incubation studies with nisin. The radius of the inhibition zone was predicted from the computational model as the location where the predicted nisin concentration at Tc was equal to MIC. The MIC was experimentally determined to be 0.156 μg mL−1, and Tc was determined to be 7 h. Good agreement (R2 = 0.984) was obtained between model‐predicted and experimentally determined inhibition zone radii.
Optimization and prediction of antioxidant properties of a tea‐ginger extract
Authors: Makanjuola Solomon Akinremi , Enujiugha Victor Ndigwe , Omoba Olufunmilayo Sade , Sanni David Morakinyo
Published: April 2015

A response surface approach was used to investigate the effects of temperature, concentration, and time on the antioxidant properties (total flavonoid (TF), total phenol (TP), peroxide scavenging activity (PS), iron chelating activity (IC), DPPH radical‐scavenging ability (DPPH), ABTS assay (ABTS)) of aqueous extract of tea‐ginger (2:1) powder. Color indices, pH, and redox potential of the tea‐ginger powder were also measured and used as independent variables for the prediction of antioxidant properties of the extract using ordinary least square (OLSR), principal component (PCR), and partial least square (PLSR) regression. The R2 values for TP, TF, ABTS, and PS response surface models were 0.8873, 0.9639, 0.6485, and 0.5721, respectively. The OLSR, PCR, and PLSR were able to provide predictive models for DPPH, TP, and TF of the tea‐ginger extract (P < 0.05). The PLSR gave the most parsimonious model with an R2 of 0.851, 0.736, and 0.905 for DPPH, TP, and TF, respectively.
Jumpstarting commercial‐scale CO2capture and storage with ethylene production and enhanced oil recovery in the US Gulf
Authors: Middleton Richard S. , Levine Jonathan S. , Bielicki Jeffrey M. , Viswanathan Hari S. , Carey J. William , Stauffer Philip H.
Published: April 2015

CO2capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology has yet to be widely deployed at a commercial scale despite multiple high‐profile demonstration projects. We suggest that developing a large‐scale, visible, and financially viable CCUS network could potentially overcome many barriers to deployment and jumpstart commercial‐scale CCUS. To date, substantial effort has focused on technology development to reduce the costs of CO2capture from coal‐fired power plants. Here, we propose that near‐term investment could focus on implementing CO2capture on facilities that produce high‐value chemicals/products. These facilities can absorb the expected impact of the marginal increase in the cost of production on the price of their product, due to the addition of CO2capture, more than coal‐fired power plants. A financially viable demonstration of a large‐scale CCUS network requires offsetting the costs of CO2capture by using the CO2as an input to the production of market‐viable products. We demonstrate this alternative development path with the example of an integrated CCUS system where CO2is captured from ethylene producers and used for enhanced oil recovery in the US Gulf Coast region. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Immortalization of epithelial cells in oral carcinogenesis as revealed by genome‐wide array comparative genomic hybridization: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Vincent–Chong Vui King , Salahshourifar Iman , Razali Rozaimi , Anwar Arif , Zain Rosnah Binti
Published: April 2015

Background

This purpose of this meta‐analysis study was to identify the most frequent and potentially significant copy number alteration (CNA) in oral carcinogenesis.

Methods

Seven oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)‐related publications, corresponding to 312 samples, were identified for this meta‐analysis. The data were analyzed in a 4‐step process that included the genome assembly coordination of multiple platforms, assignment of chromosomal position anchors, calling gains and losses, and functional annotation analysis.

Results

Gains were more frequent than losses in the entire dataset. High‐frequency gains were identified in chromosomes 5p, 14q, 11q, 7p, 17q, 20q, 8q, and 3q, whereas high‐frequency losses were identified in chromosomes 3p, 8p, 6p, 18q, and 4q. Ingenuity pathway analysis showed that the top biological function was associated with immortalization of the epithelial cells (p = 1.93E‐04).

Conclusion

This study has identified multiple recurrent CNAs that are involved in various biological annotations associated with oral carcinogenesis. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E783–E797, 2016
Effects of the murine skull in optoacoustic brain microscopy
Authors: Kneipp Moritz , Turner Jake , Estrada Héctor , Rebling Johannes , Shoham Shy , Razansky Daniel
Published: April 2015

Despite the great promise behind the recent introduction of optoacoustic technology into the arsenal of small‐animal neuroimaging methods, a variety of acoustic and light‐related effects introduced by adult murine skull severely compromise the performance of optoacoustics in transcranial imaging. As a result, high‐resolution noninvasive optoacoustic microscopy studies are still limited to a thin layer of pial microvasculature, which can be effectively resolved by tight focusing of the excitation light. We examined a range of distortions introduced by an adult murine skull in transcranial optoacoustic imaging under both acoustically‐ and optically‐determined resolution scenarios. It is shown that strong low‐pass filtering characteristics of the skull may significantly deteriorate the achievable spatial resolution in deep brain imaging where no light focusing is possible. While only brain vasculature with a diameter larger than 60 µm was effectively resolved via transcranial measurements with acoustic resolution, significant improvements are seen through cranial windows and thinned skull experiments.

(a) Experimental setup for hybrid acoustic and optical resolution optoacoustic microscopy. (b) Transcranial scan of an adult mouse brain using the optical resolution mode. Scale bar is 375 µm.

magnified image

(a) Experimental setup for hybrid acoustic and optical resolution optoacoustic microscopy. (b) Transcranial scan of an adult mouse brain using the optical resolution mode. Scale bar is 375 µm.
SHP2-Deficiency in Chondrocytes Deforms Orofacial Cartilage and Ciliogenesis in Mice
Authors: Kamiya Nobuhiro , Shen Jingling , Noda Kazuo , Kitami Megumi , Feng Gen-Sheng , Chen Di , Komatsu Yoshihiro
Published: April 2015

Congenital orofacial abnormalities are clinically seen in human syndromes with SHP2 germline mutations such as LEOPARD and Noonan syndrome. Recent studies demonstrate that SHP2-deficiency leads to skeletal abnormalities including scoliosis and cartilaginous benign tumor metachondromatosis, suggesting that growth plate cartilage is a key tissue regulated by SHP2. The role and cellular mechanism of SHP2 in the orofacial cartilage, however, remains unknown. Here, we investigated the postnatal craniofacial development by inducible disruption of Shp2 in chondrocytes. Shp2 conditional knockout (cKO) mice displayed severe deformity of the mandibular condyle accompanied by disorganized, expanded cartilage in the trabecular bone region, enhanced type X collagen, and reduced Erk production. Interestingly, the length of primary cilia, an antenna like organelle sensing environmental signaling, was significantly shortened, and the number of primary cilia was reduced in the cKO mice. The expression levels of intraflagellar transports (IFTs), essential molecules in the assembly and function of primary cilia, were significantly decreased. Taken together, lack of Shp2 in orofacial cartilage led to severe defects of ciliogenesis through IFT reduction, resulting in mandibular condyle malformation and cartilaginous expansion. Our study provides new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of SHP2-deficiency in cartilage and helps to understand orofacial and skeletal manifestations seen in patients with SHP2 mutations. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Blockage of Src by Specific siRNA as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy to Prevent Destructive Repair in Steroid-Associated Osteonecrosis in Rabbits
Authors: Zheng Li-zhen , Cao Hui-juan , Chen Shi-hui , Tang Tao , Fu Wei-min , Huang Le , Chow Dick Ho Kiu , Wang Yi-xiang , Griffith James Francis , He Wei , Zhou Hong , Zhao De-wei , Zhang Ge , Wang Xin-luan , Qin Ling
Published: April 2015

Vascular hyperpermeability and highly upregulated bone resorption in the destructive repair progress of steroid-associated osteonecrosis (SAON) are associated with a high expression of VEGF and high Src activity (Src is encoded by the cellular sarcoma [c-src] gene). This study was designed to prove our hypothesis that blocking the VEGF-Src signaling pathway by specific Src siRNA is able to prevent destructive repair in a SAON rabbit model. Destructive repair in SAON was induced in rabbits. At 2, 4, and 6 weeks after SAON induction, VEGF, anti-VEGF, Src siRNA, Src siRNA+VEGF, control siRNA, and saline were introduced via intramedullary injection into proximal femora for each group, respectively. Vascularization and permeability were quantified by dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI. At week 6 after SAON induction, proximal femurs were dissected for micro–computed tomography (μCT)-based trabecular architecture with finite element analysis (FEA), μCT-based angiography, and histological analysis. Histological evaluation revealed that VEGF enhanced destructive repair, whereas anti-VEGF prevented destructive repair and Src siRNA and Src siRNA+VEGF prevented destructive repair and enhanced reparative osteogenesis. Findings of angiography and histomorphometry were consistent with those determined by DCE MRI. Src siRNA inhibited VEGF-mediated vascular hyperpermeability but preserved VEGF-induced neovascularization. Bone resorption was enhanced in the VEGF group and inhibited in the anti-VEGF, Src siRNA, Src siRNA+VEGF groups as determined by both 3D μCT and 2D histomorphometry. FEA showed higher estimated failure load in the Src siRNA and Src siRNA+VEGF groups when compared to the vehicle control group. Blockage of VEGF-Src signaling pathway by specific Src siRNA was able to prevent steroid-associated destructive repair while improving reconstructive repair in SAON, which might become a novel therapeutic strategy. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Hemodynamic and energetic aspects of the left ventricle in patients with mitral regurgitation before and after mitral valve surgery
Authors: Al‐Wakeel Nadya , Fernandes Joao Filipe , Amiri Aref , Siniawski Henryk , Goubergrits Leonid , Berger Felix , Kuehne Titus
Published: April 2015

Background

The role of intracardiac blood flow behavior within the context of manifestation and interventional success in patients with mitral regurgitation is unknown to date. The present study aims to assess left ventricular blood flow behavior characterized by kinetic energy (KE) in patients with mitral regurgitation before and after mitral valve surgery.

Methods

Patients with mitral regurgitation (mean age 56 ± 9 years) and the necessity for mitral valve repair (n = 6) or biological valve replacement (n = 4) received cardiac magnetic resonance before and after surgery and were compared with a group of healthy volunteers (n = 7; mean age 27 ± 7 years). Volumetric data and KE of the left ventricle were obtained for all subjects. KE normalized and nonnormalized to volume was calculated from four‐dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging. Mean KE and KE peaks (systolic, early‐diastolic and late diastolic), and end‐systolic phase duration were considered.

Results

End‐diastolic, end‐systolic and stroke volume were significantly higher in patients with mitral regurgitation than in healthy volunteers (P = 0.00, 0.01, and 0.00, respectively) and decreased significantly after surgery (P = 0.00, 0.01, and 0.00, respectively). A significant postoperative decrease of mean KE, systolic and early‐diastolic KE peaks was observed (P = 0.01, 0.02, and 0.01, respectively). Late‐diastolic KE peak remained high in postoperative patients (P = 0.58).

Conclusion

Intracardiac blood flow as characterized by measurements of KE is altered in patients with mitral regurgitation. Physiological flow conditions appear to not fully be restored with mitral valve surgery. J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2015;42:1705–1712.
Histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient at 3.0t: Correlation with prognostic factors and subtypes of invasive ductal carcinoma
Authors: Kim Eun Jeong , Kim Sung Hun , Park Ga Eun , Kang Bong Joo , Song Byung Joo , Kim Yun Ju , Lee Dongeon , Ahn Hyunsoo , Kim Inah , Son Yo Han , Grimm Robert
Published: April 2015

Purpose

To evaluate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram parameters that show correlations with prognostic factors and subtypes of breast cancer.

Materials and Methods

At 3.0T, various ADC histogram parameters were calculated including the entire tumor volume in 173 invasive ductal carcinomas: the minimum, 10th percentile, mean, median, 90th percentile, and maximum. ADC parameters were correlated with prognostic factors and subtype.

Results

The mean ADCmedian value was significantly higher in the group with lymph node metastasis, HER2 positivity, and a Ki‐67 value <14% than in the group with negativity for lymph node metastasis, HER2 negativity, and a Ki‐67 value ≥14% (0.907, 0.978, and 0.941 vs. 0.735, 0.778, and 0.761 × 10−3 mm2/s, respectively) (P < 0.01). There was no significant correlation between ADCmedian and tumor size, histologic grade, estrogen receptor expression, and progesterone receptor expression (P = 0.272, 0.113, 0.261, and 0.181, respectively). For most ADC parameters except for ADCmin, the mean of variable ADC parameters of HER2‐positive, luminal A, luminal B‐HER2(+), triple‐negative, and luminal B‐HER2(–) diseases were arranged in descending order (1.175, 0.936, 0.863, 0.811, and 0.665 × 10−3 mm2/s in ADCmedian, respectively) with statistical significant difference (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, histologic grade, the Ki‐67 index, and HER2 expression were statistically significant explanatory prognostic factors for ADCmedian and the Ki‐67 index had the most robust effects on ADC parameters (standardized coefficient = –0.317).

Conclusion

Various ADC parameters were correlated with prognostic factors and subtype, except for ADCmin. HER2 positivity showed high ADC values and high Ki‐67 index revealed low ADC values. J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2015;42:1666–1678.
Investigation of soil density effect on suction induced due to root water uptake by Schefflera heptaphylla
Authors: Garg Ankit , Ng Charles Wang Wai
Published: April 2015

An increase in soil water suction due to root water uptake is significant for stability of slopes and landfill covers as it increases shear strength of soil by 50%. Coupled effects of soil density changes in soil hydraulic properties [i.e., soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) and hydraulic conductivity] and root characteristics (root depth, vertical root distribution) found in past experimental studies may affect soil water suction, which are not fully understood. The objective of this study is to numerically investigate these coupled effects of soil density by systematically comparing suction profiles under three different scenarios: (1) changes in only soil hydraulic properties, (2) changes in only root characteristics, and (3) changes in both soil properties and root characteristics. Silty sand with two different degrees of compaction (DoC) (i.e., 82% and 89%), which are typically found on man‐made slopes in subtropical regions, is considered. Schefflera heptaphylla is selected as vegetation species, which is commonly used for ecological restoration for man‐made slopes. A laboratory experiment was conducted to quantify suction distribution in silty sand vegetated with Schefflera heptaphylla at DoC of 89%. Vertical root distribution was measured using image analysis, while an axi‐symmetric finite element analysis was conducted to calibrate transpiration rate from measured suction. Root characteristics corresponding to DoC of 82% were then deduced using observations from literature. Richards equation coupled with sink term was numerically solved using Vadose/W to simulate water flow and root uptake on a flat ground (5 m depth, 10 m wide). Soil hydraulic parameters from a completely decomposed granite soil for two different DoCs (82% and 89%) were considered. Simulations assume constant transpiration rate for a period of 10 d. With increase in soil density from DoC of 82% to 89%, computed suction increases by 110% for scenario 1 (only effect on soil hydraulic properties), whereas it decreases by at least 21% for scenarios 2 (only root characteristics) and 3 (coupled effect). Here, a higher unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and a lower actual transpiration rate balance effects of a lower desorption rate of SWCC.
Assessment of soil texture class on agricultural fields using ECa, Amber NDVI, and topographic properties
Authors: Stępień Michał , Samborski Stanisław , Gozdowski Dariusz , Dobers Eike Stefan , Chormański Jarosław , Szatyłowicz Jan
Published: April 2015

Soil texture (ST) is relatively stable over time, although it may change due to erosion, clay eluviation, and other processes. Soil texture affects soil quality, productivity and management. Therefore, indirect, accurate methods for assessing of soil texture classes (STCs) are needed in agricultural practice. A study was performed on four production fields in northern and central Poland to compare the fitting performance of STC models based on apparent electrical conductivity (ECa), topographic properties (elevation, slope gradient and wetness index) and Amber NDVI measurements. One common and accurate indicator of STCs was not found for all study fields. On average, ECa was most accurate in indicating areas of different STCs within the fields, but it tended to overestimate the size of sandy areas on loamy fields and vice versa. The accuracy of STC assessment using ECa measurements may be biased due to imperfect soil drainage, high elevations, which increase evaporation and STC variation with depth. STC assessment using Amber NDVI measurements may be useful, particularly on flat and sandy fields, but the results are affected by the same factors as ECa, and additionally by crop growth stages and by the weather conditions in the period preceding the measurements. Despite the good quantitative results of the STC assessment by elevation (one field) and by the topographic wetness index (another field), both terrain attributes failed to accurately indicate the distribution of some STC areas within each field. Therefore, in landscapes developed from deposits of the last glaciation relevant ST differences might not sufficiently be detected by the analysis of terrain attributes alone. The selection of STC predictors and evaluation of the assessment quality must consider both the quantitative indicators such as correlation and determination coefficients describing relationships between ST and ECa, NDVI and topography and percentage of a field area with accurately indicated STC and the distribution of areas with different STCs within a field. The use of ECa, NDVI values, and topographic properties for STC assessment may be useful in reducing costs of soil sampling and analysis, but cannot replace it.
The acquisition of phosphate by higher plants: Effect of carboxylate release by the roots. A critical review.
Authors: Gerke Jörg
Published: April 2015

Phosphorus is one of the most limiting macronutrients for plant productivity in agriculture worldwide. The main reasons are the limited rock phosphate reserves and the high affinity of phosphate (P) to the soil solid phase, restricting the P availability to the plant roots. Plants can adapt to soils low in available P by changing morphological or/and physiological root features. Morphological changes include the formation of longer root hairs and a higher root : shoot ratio both parameters increasing the root surface which provides the shoot with P. This may be successful if the P availability in soil, i.e., the P concentration of the soil solution is not extremely low (> 1–2 µM P). If the P concentration of the soil solution is lower, the diffusive flux to the root surface will be very low and may not satisfy the P demand of the shoots. Under these conditions plants have developed strategies to increase the rhizosphere soil solution concentration by secreting mobilizing agents. The most effective way of P mobilization is the release of di‐ and tricarboxylic acid anions, especially oxalate and citrate. Citrate can accumulate in the rhizosphere up to concentrations up to 80 µmol g−1 soil. Cluster root formation is an efficient way of carboxylate accumulation in the cluster root rhizosphere improving P mobilization. Cluster roots strongly improve the acquisition of the mobilized P. Considering a single root, around 80–90% of the mobilized P diffuses away from the root. From the rhizosphere of cluster roots, most of the mobilized P is taken up by the cluster roots. Both, the strong accumulation of carboxylates in and the effective P uptake from the cluster‐root rhizosphere are the basis of the unique ability of P acquisition by cluster root‐forming plants. Plants that do not form cluster roots, e.g., red clover, can also accumulate carboxylates in the rhizosphere. Red clover accumulates high quantities of citrate in the rhizosphere soil. Model calculations show that the release of citrate by red clover roots and its accumulation in the rhizosphere strongly improve P acquisition by this plant species in various soils. Similar results are obtained with alfalfa. In sugar beet, oxalate release can strongly contribute to P acquisition. In summary, P acquisition can be strongly improved by the release of carboxylates and should be taken as a challenge for basic and applied research.
Raman, FTIR and XRD study of Icelandic tephra minerals: implications for Mars
Authors: Bathgate Emily J. , Maynard‐Casely Helen E. , Caprarelli Graziella , Xiao Linda , Stuart Barbara , Smith Kate T. , Pogson Ross
Published: April 2015

Essential to the success of proposed planetary Raman spectroscopy missions will be the preparation of comprehensive libraries of spectra and a greater understanding of the current limitations of Raman spectroscopy. Seven samples of Icelandic tephra were analysed using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) as an analogue for Martian rocks. The results from these three spectroscopic techniques were compared with the success of mineral identification of each method differing. Some minerals such as ilmenite and flouroapatite were identified using XRD and not found in the Raman spectra. Olivine, hematite and anatase were detected by Raman spectroscopy but were not observed in the XRD patterns. The FTIR results gave essential information on the presence of H2O in the samples. The impact of fluorescence on Raman spectra of some minerals is still a major concern as this is the most likely reason for some of the diagnostic mineral peaks not showing in the Raman spectra. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chromatographic behavior of small organic compounds in low‐temperature high‐performance liquid chromatography using liquid carbon dioxide as the mobile phase
Authors: Motono Tomohiro , Nagai Takashi , Kitagawa Shinya , Ohtani Hajime
Published: April 2015

Low‐temperature high‐performance liquid chromatography, in which a loop injector, column, and detection cell were refrigerated at –35ºC, using liquid carbon dioxide as the mobile phase was developed. Small organic compounds (polyaromatic hydrocarbons, alkylbenzenes, and quinones) were separated by low‐temperature high‐performance liquid chromatography at temperatures from –35 to –5ºC. The combination of liquid carbon dioxide mobile phase with an octadecyl‐silica (C18) column provided reversed phase mode separation, and a bare silica‐gel column resulted in normal phase mode separation. In both the cases, nonlinear behavior at approximately –15ºC was found in the relationship between the temperature and the retention factors of the analytes (van't Hoff plots). In contrast to general trends in high‐performance liquid chromatography, the decrease in temperature enhanced the separation efficiency of both the columns.
Lyapunov theorems for measure functional differential equations via Kurzweil‐equations
Authors: Federson Márcia , Mesquita Jaqueline G. , Toon Eduard
Published: April 2015

We consider measure functional differential equations (we write measure FDEs) of the form , where f is Perron–Stieltjes integrable, is given by , with , and and are the distributional derivatives in the sense of the distribution of L. Schwartz, with respect to functions and , , and we present new concepts of stability of the trivial solution, when it exists, of this equation. The new stability concepts generalize, for instance, the variational stability introduced by Š. Schwabik and M. Federson for FDEs and yet we are able to establish a Lyapunov‐type theorem for measure FDEs via theory of generalized ordinary differential equations (also known as Kurzweil equations).
13CMRS of human brain at 7 Tesla using [2‐13C]glucose infusion and low power broadband stochastic proton decoupling
Authors: Li Shizhe , An Li , Yu Shao , Ferraris Araneta Maria , Johnson Christopher S. , Wang Shumin , Shen Jun
Published: April 2015

Purpose

Carbon‐13 (13C) MR spectroscopy (MRS) of the human brain at 7 Tesla (T) may pose patient safety issues due to high radiofrequency (RF) power deposition for proton decoupling. The purpose of present work is to study the feasibility of in vivo 13C MRS of human brain at 7 T using broadband low RF power proton decoupling.

Methods

Carboxylic/amide 13C MRS of human brain by broadband stochastic proton decoupling was demonstrated on a 7 T scanner. RF safety was evaluated using the finite‐difference time‐domain method. 13C signal enhancement by nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) and proton decoupling was evaluated in both phantoms and in vivo.

Results

At 7 T, the peak amplitude of carboxylic/amide 13C signals was increased by a factor of greater than 4 due to the combined effects of NOE and proton decoupling. The 7 T 13C MRS technique used decoupling power and average transmit power of less than 35 watts (W) and 3.6 W, respectively.

Conclusion

In vivo 13C MRS studies of human brain can be performed at 7 T, well below the RF safety threshold, by detecting carboxylic/amide carbons with broadband stochastic proton decoupling. Magn Reson Med 75:954–961, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the complexity of equal shortest path routing
Authors: Giroire Frédéric , Pérennes Stéphane , Tahiri Issam
Published: April 2015

In telecommunication networks, packets are carried from a source to a destination on a path determined by the underlying routing protocol. Most routing protocols belong to the class of shortest path routing protocols. In such protocols, the network operator assigns a length to each link. A packet going from to follows a shortest path according to these lengths. For better protection and efficiency, one wishes to use multiple (shortest) paths between two nodes. Therefore, the routing protocol must determine how the traffic from to is distributed among the shortest paths. In the protocol called Open Shortest Path First‐Equal Cost Multiple Path (ospf‐ecmp) the traffic incoming at every node is uniformly balanced on all outgoing links that are on shortest paths. In that context, the operator task is to determine the “best” link lengths, toward a goal such as maximizing the network throughput for given link capacities. In this work, we show that the problem of maximizing even a single commodity flow for the ospf‐ecmp protocol cannot be approximated within any constant factor ratio. Besides this main theorem, we derive some positive results which include polynomial‐time approximations and an exponential‐time exact algorithm. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 65(4), 344–352 2015
Exact 3D boundary representation in finite element analysis based on Cartesian grids independent of the geometry
Authors: Marco Onofre , Sevilla Ruben , Zhang Yongjie , Ródenas Juan José , Tur Manuel
Published: April 2015

This paper proposes a novel Immersed Boundary Method where the embedded domain is exactly described by using its Computer‐Aided Design (CAD) boundary representation with Non‐Uniform Rational B‐Splines (NURBS) or T‐splines. The common feature with other immersed methods is that the current approach substantially reduces the burden of mesh generation. In contrast, the exact boundary representation of the embedded domain allows to overcome the major drawback of existing immersed methods that is the inaccurate representation of the physical domain. A novel approach to perform the numerical integration in the region of the cut elements that is internal to the physical domain is presented and its accuracy and performance evaluated using numerical tests. The applicability, performance, and optimal convergence of the proposed methodology is assessed by using numerical examples in three dimensions. It is also shown that the accuracy of the proposed methodology is independent on the CAD technology used to describe the geometry of the embedded domain. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrochemical Nanoparticle Sizing Via Nano‐Impacts: How Large a Nanoparticle Can be Measured?
Authors: Bartlett Thomas R. , Sokolov Stanislav V. , Compton Richard G.
Published: April 2015

The field of nanoparticle (NP) sizing encompasses a wide array of techniques, with electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) having become the established methods for NP quantification; however, these techniques are not always applicable. A new and rapidly developing method that addresses the limitations of these techniques is the electrochemical detection of NPs in solution. The ‘nano‐impacts’ technique is an excellent and qualitative in situ method for nanoparticle characterization. Two complementary studies on silver and silver bromide nanoparticles (NPs) were used to assess the large radius limit of the nano‐impact method for NP sizing. Noting that by definition a NP cannot be larger than 100 nm in diameter, we have shown that the method quantitatively sizes at the largest limit, the lower limit having been previously reported as ∼6 nm.
Critical Ethnographic Analysis of “Doing Good” on Short‐Term International Immersion Experiences
Authors: Elliot Michelle L.
Published: April 2015

Reciprocal partnerships are growing alongside the rise of international learning and “doing” experiences for students and clinicians. This paper questions how global citizenship, the acquisition of awareness and skills to sensitively navigate through a rapidly globalized social world, is cultivated amidst international partnerships focused on short‐term immersion opportunities. Using an ethnographic methodology to examine the experiences of occupational therapy students abroad, this paper addresses the potential for competing agendas when the motivation to participate within these partnerships is driven in part by a desire to “do good.” The empirical lens was directed towards the students' verbal, written and enacted narratives rather than the sociocultural realm of the sending institution, the host organization or the occupational realities of the local communities, therefore is limited in discursive scope. Nevertheless, the need is great for further critical appraisal of objectives and expectations by all parties to foster a partnership culture of reciprocity and equality and to diminish the neocolonial legacy of Western expertise dissemination. By examining how the stated and implied desire to do good exists alongside the risk to do harm to individuals and international networks, the conclusions can be extended locally to highlight the challenges to “partnering up” between clinicians and patients. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Information Wars and Online Activism During the 2013/2014 Crisis in Ukraine: Examining the Social Structures of Pro‐ and Anti‐Maidan Groups
Authors: Gruzd Anatoliy , Tsyganova Ksenia
Published: April 2015

This article examines how online groups are formed and sustained during crisis periods, especially when political polarization in society is at its highest level. We focus on the use of Vkontakte (VK), a popular social networking site in Ukraine, to understand how it was used by Pro‐ and Anti‐Maidan groups during the 2013/2014 crisis in Ukraine. In particular, we ask whether and to what extent the ideology (or other factors) of a particular group shapes its network structure. We find some support that online social networks are likely to represent local and potentially preexisting social networks, likely due to the dominance of reciprocal (and often close) relationships on VK and opportunities for group members to meet face‐to‐face during offline protests. We also identify a number of group‐level indicators, such as degree centralization, modularity index and average engagement level, that could help to classify groups based on their network properties. Community researchers can start applying these group‐level indicators to online communities outside VK; they can also learn from this article how to identify networks of spam and marketing accounts.
Lessons for effective integrity management from the San Bruno pipeline rupture
Authors: Hayes Jan
Published: April 2015

In September 2010, eight members of the public were killed when a gas transmission pipeline ruptured at San Bruno, California. This article describes the causes of this serious organizational failure with a view to learning by other organizations that operate hazardous facilities. The rupture occurred when a longitudinal seam weld failed. The weld had been poorly made at the time the pipeline was fabricated and installed in 1956. The line had not been inspected or tested since that time. While the details are specific to the case at hand, organizational lessons are valid for other organizations operating complex sociotechnical systems that face the problem of sleeping or latent faults that can remain dormant for many years. This analysis focuses on the organizational arrangements that led to such ineffective integrity management, in particular how the potential for an event such as the one that occurred was systematically ignored by the operating company for many years. The key to effective management of the potential for disaster is to ensure that risk management does not become a “fantasy” but remains grounded in the reality of the dangers that the assets pose to workers, the public, and to the organization itself. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 34: 202–206, 2015
Lighting the 21st century
Authors: Riechert Henning
Published: April 2015

Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura received the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for their invention of the blue light‐emitting diode. This discovery has enabled bright and energy‐saving white light sources for efficient solid‐state lighting. The long road to this scientific development and its more recent fast‐paced industrial and commercial application is illustrated.

One thousand three hundred fifty modules with a total of 16,000 light‐emitting diodes in handrails illuminate the steps of the Kiev sports stadium bright and safely. This kind of compact and efficient lighting was made possible by the work awarded with the Nobel Prize in 2014.
Quantum information from selected elementary chemical reactions: Maximum entangled transition state
Authors: Esquivel Rodolfo O. , Molina‐Espíritu Moyocoyani , Plastino A. R. , Dehesa Jesus S.
Published: April 2015

Quantum entanglement features exhibited by the reaction path of some selected elementary chemical reactions: hydrogenic abstraction, nucleophilic hydrogenic substitution, three‐atom insertion reaction of silylene into hydrogen, and the cycloaddition of cyclopentadiene into anhydride maleic are investigated in this work. The phenomenological behavior of these reactions is described by two of the fundamental descriptors of the molecular densities, the atomic charges, and the electric potentials, to associate the maximum entangled transition state (METS) to the concurrent processes of the chemical reactions. It is found that the METS characterizes the transition state of symmetrical reactions; and for nonsymmetrical ones, it features a new critical point along the intrinsic reaction path. In addition, benchmark calculations of the relevant quantitative entanglement measures for the critical points of these reactions are reported. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.