bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A cohort study of unstable overdose patients treated with intravenous lipid emulsion therapy
Authors: Mithani Shazma , Dong Kathryn , Wilmott Ashlea , Podmoroff Heather , Lalani Nadim , Rosychuk Rhonda J. , Chuang Ryan , Yarema Mark C.
Published: November 2016

Objectives

Intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) has been used increasingly over the last decade for a range of drug overdoses. Although the use of ILE in local anesthetic toxicity (LAST) is well established, the hemodynamic effectiveness of ILE in non-LAST poisonings is still unclear. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to examine a cohort of poisoned patients in whom ILE was administered.

Methods

Consecutive patients were identified by calls to a regional poison center from May 1, 2012 to May 30, 2014. Patients were enrolled if they ingested a drug, developed hemodynamic instability, failed conventional treatment, and received ILE therapy. Data were collected by medical record review. The primary outcome was the change in mean arterial pressure (MAP) in the first hour after ILE administration. Secondary outcomes included survival, length of stay, and the effect of drug class on patient outcome.

Results

Thirty-six patients were enrolled. Agents ingested included calcium channel blockers and beta blockers (10/36, 27.8%), tricyclic antidepressants (5/36, 13.9%), bupropion (3/36, 8.3%), and antiepileptic agents (1/36, 2.8%). Seventeen patients (47.2%) ingested multiple agents. Twenty-five patients survived (69.0%). Overall, MAP increased by 13.79 mm Hg (95% CI 1.43–26.15); this did not meet oura prioridefinition of clinical significance.

Conclusions

Our study did not find a clinically important improvement in MAP after ILE administration. Until future research is done to more definitively study its efficacy, ILE should remain a potential treatment option for hemodynamically unstable overdose patients only after conventional therapy has failed.
Mental disorders in pregnancy and 5–8 years after delivery
Authors: Rondó P. H. C. , Ferreira R. F. , Lemos J. O. , Pereira-Freire J. A.
Published: November 2016

Background.

Even though mental disorders represent a major public health problem for women and respective children, there remains a lack of epidemiological longitudinal studies to assess the psychological status of women throughout pregnancy and later in life. This epidemiological cohort study assessed the relationship between mental disorders of 409 Brazilian women in pregnancy and 5–8 years after delivery.

Methods.

The women were followed from 1997 to 2000 at 17 health services, and subsequently from 2004 to 2006 at their homes. Mental disorders were investigated by the Perceived Stress Scale-PSS, General Health Questionnaire-GHQ and State-Trait Anxiety Inventories-STAI. The relationship between scores of the PSS, GHQ and STAI 5–8 years after delivery and in pregnancy was assessed by multivariate linear regression analysis, controlling for the following confounders: maternal age, education, per capita income, family size, work, marital status and body mass index.

Results.

Scores of the PSS, GHQ and STAI 5–8 years after delivery were positively associated with scores of the PSS, GHQ and STAI in the three trimesters of pregnancy, and inversely associated with maternal age and per capita income (adj. R2 varied from 0.15 to 0.37). PSS, GHQ and STAI scores in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy were positively associated with scores of the PSS, GHQ and STAI in the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy (adj. R2 varied from 0.31 to 0.65).

Conclusions.

The results of this study reinforce the urgency to integrate mental health screening into routine primary care for pregnant and postpartum women.
Comparing Same-Sex Marriage in Australia and Canada: Institutions and Political Will
Authors: Johnson Carol , Tremblay Manon
Published: November 2016

This article explores why there have been such different trajectories in regard to same-sex marriage in Australia and Canada. Canada was one of the first countries to introduce same-sex marriage (in 2005) and, at time of writing, Australia still had not done so.1The comparison is particularly interesting given that Australia and Canada have relatively similar political institutions except that Australia has no Charter of Rights. Miriam Smith has suggested that institutional factors explain the different trajectories of policies on same-sex marriage in Canada and the US. However, the shift in comparative lens to Canada and Australia provides new insights into the key role of factors influencing ‘political will’ in regard to same-sex marriage in both countries. Those multiple influences do include institutions but also the role played by party electoral strategies. Consequently, the article provides insights into the factors that can influence minority group rights in different national democratic settings.
Adapting Evidence-Based Interventions for Students With Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Gilmore Linda , Campbell Marilyn , Shochet Ian
Published: November 2016

Students with developmental disabilities have many challenges with learning and adaptive behaviour, as well as a higher prevalence rate of mental health problems. Although there is a substantial body of evidence for efficacious interventions for enhancing resilience and promoting mental health in typically developing children, very few programs have been modified for use with students with developmental disabilities. In this article we present two interventions (Aussie Optimism and the Resourceful Adolescent Program) that have been rigorously tested with typically developing students and subsequently adapted and evaluated for their effectiveness for students with developmental disabilities. The article highlights the critical importance of using interventions with a robust evidence base, and the important role for school psychologists and counsellors in program selection, implementation, and evaluation.
Children's Books that Promote Understanding of Difference, Diversity and Disability
Authors: Gilmore Linda , Howard Glenn
Published: November 2016

An important goal of inclusive education is to create an environment in which individual differences are appreciated, and where all children are valued. Books are an important way in which children learn about themselves, others and the world around them. Children's literature can potentially promote awareness of individual differences and similarities, acceptance of self and others, and information that counteracts ignorance, misperceptions and stereotypes about disability. This awareness, acceptance and knowledge should ultimately contribute to greater understanding, empathy and respect for diversity. In this article, we review over 50 children's books that may be of value for assisting children of different ages to understand and appreciate individual differences and disabilities. Most of the reviews were contributed by postgraduate psychology students who were enrolled in a disability unit at Queensland University of Technology.
Structural–functional brain changes in depressed patients during and after electroconvulsive therapy
Authors: Yrondi Antoine , Péran Patrice , Sauvaget Anne , Schmitt Laurent , Arbus Christophe
Published: November 2016

Objectives

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a non-pharmacological treatment that is effective in treating severe and treatment-resistant depression. Although the efficacy of ECT has been demonstrated to treat major depressive disorder (MDD), the brain mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. Structural–functional changes occur with the use of ECT as a treatment for depression based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For this reason, we have tried to identify the changes that were identified by MRI to try to clarify some operating mechanisms of ECT. We focus to brain changes on MRI [structural MRI (sMRI), functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imging (DTI)] after ECT.

Methods

A systematic search of the international literature was performed using the bibliographic search engines PubMed and Embase. The research focused on papers published up to 30 September 2015. The following Medical Subject Headings (MESH) terms were used: electroconvulsive therapy AND (MRI OR fMRI OR DTI). Papers published in English were included. Four authors searched the database using a predefined strategy to identify potentially eligible studies.

Results

There were structural changes according to the sMRI performed before and after ECT treatment. These changes do not seem to be entirely due to oedema. This investigation assessed the functional network connectivity associated with the ECT response in MDD. ECT response reverses the relationship from negative to positive between the two pairs of networks.

Conclusion

We found structural–functional changes in MRI post-ECT. Because of the currently limited MRI data on ECT in the literature, it is necessary to conduct further investigations using other MRI technology.
RANK TWO STABLE ULRICH BUNDLES ON ANTICANONICALLY EMBEDDED SURFACES
Authors: CASNATI GIANFRANCO
Published: November 2016

Let $S\subseteq \mathbb{P}^{d}$ be an anticanonically embedded surface of degree $d\geq 3$. In this note, we classify stable Ulrich bundles on $S$ of rank two. We also study their moduli spaces.
INVARIANCE OF THE COEFFICIENTS OF STRONGLY CONVEX FUNCTIONS
Authors: THOMAS D. K. , VERMA SARIKA
Published: November 2016

Let the function $f$ be analytic in $\mathbb{D}=\{z:|z|<1\}$ and given by $f(z)=z+\sum _{n=2}^{\infty }a_{n}z^{n}$. For $0<\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}\leq 1$, denote by ${\mathcal{C}}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD})$ the class of strongly convex functions. We give sharp bounds for the initial coefficients of the inverse function of $f\in {\mathcal{C}}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD})$, showing that these estimates are the same as those for functions in ${\mathcal{C}}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD})$, thus extending a classical result for convex functions. We also give invariance results for the second Hankel determinant $H_{2}=|a_{2}a_{4}-a_{3}^{2}|$, the first three coefficients of $\log (f(z)/z)$ and Fekete–Szegö theorems.
Antioxidant defense of Nrf2vspro-inflammatory system of NF-κB during the amoebic liver infection in hamster
Authors: ALDABA-MURUATO LISETH R. , MUÑOZ-ORTEGA MARTIN H. , CAMPOS-ESPARZA MARÍA DEL R. , MACÍAS-PÉREZ JOSÉ R. , MÁRQUEZ-MUÑOZ NAYELI A. , VILLALOBOS-SANTOS ANA G. , VENTURA-JUÁREZ JAVIER
Published: November 2016

Entamoeba histolyticais the causative agent of amoebic liver abscess (ALA), which course with an uncontrolled inflammation and nitro-oxidative stresses, although it is well known that amoeba has an effective defence mechanisms against this toxic environment, the underlying molecular factors responsible for progression of tissue damage remain largely unknown. The purpose of the present study was to determine during the acute stage of ALA in hamsters, the involvement of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), which are activated in response to oxidative stress. From 12 h post-infection the ALA was visible, haematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome stains were consistent with these observations, and alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase serum activities were increased too. At 48 h after infection, liver glycogen content was significantly reduced. Western blot analyses showed that 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal peaked at 12 h, while glycogen synthase kinase-3β, cleaved caspase-3, pNF-κB, interleukin-1β and tumour necrosis factor-α were overexpressed from 12 to 48 h post-infection. Otherwise, Nrf2 and superoxide dismutase-1, decreased at 48 h and catalase declined at 36 and 48 h. Furthermore, heme oxygenase-1 was increased at 12 and 24 h and decreased to normal levels at 36 and 48 h. These findings suggest for the first time that the host antioxidant system of Nrf2 is influenced during ALA.
“I Sleep, but My Heart Waketh”: Contiguity between Heinrich Heine'sImagoof the Shulamite and Amy Levy's “Borderland”
Authors: Devine Luke
Published: November 2016

“Borderland,” by Amy Levy (1861–89), a refiguring of the Song of Songs’ traditional allegory, reverses Song 5:2–6's climax in which the Shulamite unwittingly neglects the advances of her “beloved” while he waits at the door. In “Borderland,” the Shulamite “lover” assumes the initiative by visiting her “beloved,” while he is instead passive. The diverse ways in which “Borderland” can be read reveal contiguity with “Das Hohelied” and “Lyrisches Intermezzo” by German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine (1797–1856), texts also dependent on the Songs of Songs. Indeed, Heine was Levy's “favourite poet”; “Borderland” accordingly reflects her reading of Heine and the employment of similar poetics, though not necessarily continuity or unoriginality. This article therefore looks for what Dan Miron has labelled “literary contiguity,” a process by which “tangible contacts” between “players” in the “modern Jewish literary complex” are identified. This approach identifies “relatedness” between Heine and Levy, but also acknowledges the “differences.”
Rewriting‘Arakhin: Women and Tannaitic Vows of Valuation
Authors: Kanarek Jane L.
Published: November 2016

The Levitical laws of‘arakhinname only males as those who can actively donate the monetary value of another person to the sanctuary or temple. In contrast, tannaitic texts about‘arakhinexplicitly name females among those who can donate the monetary value of another to the temple. However, this legislation of females as valuers should not be attributed to a rabbinic desire to ameliorate the status of women, but rather should be viewed as part of the larger rabbinic project of rewriting Scripture. In this case, tannaitic literature recategorizes‘arakhinwith votive legislation instead of sanctuary/temple legislation. Close attention to gender enables us to notice the tannaitic rewriting of‘arakhinand thus investigate the rabbinic reconfiguration of its biblical inheritance, not only for the ways in which rabbinic texts rewrite biblical law concerning gender but also for a richer understanding of the scholastic process itself.
“The Anxiety of Influence”: Rashbam's Approach to Rashi's Commentary on the Torah
Authors: Viezel Eran
Published: November 2016

Rashbam's approach to Rashi's commentary on the Torah is characterized by contrasts: originality and continuity, independence and dependence, open admiration and flagrant aggression. Scholars have clarified various aspects of this complex stance, yet their analyses do not provide a comprehensive explanation for it. This article argues that Rashbam's approach to Rashi's commentary is not based on methodological principles alone, but also includes an emotional element that is in part unconscious. To analyze these complex emotional elements of the text, the article uses a theoretical model that demonstrates that the ambivalence reflected in the text is not unusual, and in fact can be found in relationships between other writers— “the anxiety of influence,” as formulated by Harold Bloom. This conclusion sheds new light on Rashbam's commentary, including several of its more well-known passages.
A “Great Man” Said That? the Representation and Significance of Scholastic Failure in the Babylonian Talmud
Authors: Kaye Lynn
Published: November 2016

Academic achievement was prized in Babylonian rabbinic culture (fourth to sixth centuries CE). Yet alongside examples of scholarly ingenuity, the Babylonian Talmud records intellectual setbacks. How academic failure is constituted and the reactions to it within the talmudic text are key to understanding dynamics between sages and the cultural values of Babylonian rabbinic Judaism. Academic failure depends more on the social rank of the man than on the nature of his mistake. The modes of failure for sages in teaching positions differ from those for sages in lower-ranked social positions. Higher-status sages are treated more sympathetically, while lower-rank sages encounter derision within brief narratives and critique from the later editors. These exchanges demonstrate the high degree of expertise expected of participants in the scholastic culture, while normalizing scholastic failure (to a certain extent) as part of academic innovation. Analyzing brief narratives depicting scholastic failure in talmudic legal dialectic necessitates literary analysis of legal passages as a whole, emphasizing the continued importance of literary theory in the study of rabbinics.
אינוס נשים נשואות: עיון בספרות ההלכה בעקבות שו"ת "ממעמקים"
Authors: עיר-שי רונית
Published: November 2016

על פי ההלכה, אישה נשואה שקיימה יחסי מין עם גבר אחר ("זינתה תחת בעלה") אסורה על בעלה, אלא אם יחסים אלה היו בכפייה, דהיינו האישה נאנסה בידי הבועל. יחד עם זאת, השאלה כיצד יוגדר אונס בגינו תותר אישה לבעלה ומהן הנסיבות בהן יוכר המעשה המיני כאונס נתונה למחלוקות עמוקות.
An ERP Investigation of Object-Scene Incongruity
Authors: Guillaume Fabrice , Tinard Sophie , Baier Sophia , Dufau Stéphane
Published: November 2016

Abstract. The present study investigated the temporal dynamics of the object-scene congruity during a categorization task of objects embedded in a scene. Participants (n = 28) categorized objects in scenes as natural or man-made while event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded. The object-scene associations were either congruous (e.g., a tent in a field) or incongruous (e.g., a fridge in a desert). The results confirmed that contextual congruity affects item processing in the 300–500 ms time window with larger N300/N400 complex in the incongruous than in the congruous condition. However, unlike previous work which found an effect of congruity starting at ~ 250 ms poststimulus on fronto-central regions, the earliest sign of a reliable context congruity effect arose at ~ 170 ms at left centro-parietal regions in the present study. The present results are in line with those of previous studies showing that object and context are processed in parallel with continuous interactions from 150 to 500 ms, possibly through feed-forward co-activation of populations of neurons selective to the processing of the object and its context. The present finding provides novel evidence suggesting that online context violations might affect earlier visual processes and routines of matching between possible scene-congruent activated schemas and the upcoming information about the item to process.
Functional implications of orientation maps in primary visual cortex
Authors: Koch Erin , Jin Jianzhong , Alonso Jose M. , Zaidi Qasim
Published: November 2016

Stimulus orientation in the primary visual cortex of primates and carnivores is mapped as iso-orientation domains radiating from pinwheel centres, where orientation preferences of neighbouring cells change circularly. Whether this orientation map has a function is currently debated, because many mammals, such as rodents, do not have such maps. Here we show that two fundamental properties of visual cortical responses, contrast saturation and cross-orientation suppression, are stronger within cat iso-orientation domains than at pinwheel centres. These differences develop when excitation (not normalization) from neighbouring oriented neurons is applied to different cortical orientation domains and then balanced by inhibition from un-oriented neurons. The functions of the pinwheel mosaic emerge from these local intra-cortical computations: Narrower tuning, greater cross-orientation suppression and higher contrast gain of iso-orientation cells facilitate extraction of object contours from images, whereas broader tuning, greater linearity and less suppression of pinwheel cells generate selectivity for surface patterns and textures.
IRS4 induces mammary tumorigenesis and confers resistance to HER2-targeted therapy through constitutive PI3K/AKT-pathway hyperactivation
Authors: Ikink Gerjon J. , Boer Mandy , Bakker Elvira R. M. , Hilkens John
Published: November 2016

In search of oncogenic drivers and mechanisms affecting therapy resistance in breast cancer, we identified Irs4, a poorly studied member of the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) family, as a mammary oncogene by insertional mutagenesis. Whereas normally silent in the postnatal mammary gland, IRS4 is found to be highly expressed in a subset of breast cancers. We show that Irs4 expression in mammary epithelial cells induces constitutive PI3K/AKT pathway hyperactivation, insulin/IGF1-independent cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth and in vivo tumorigenesis. The constitutive PI3K/AKT pathway hyperactivation by IRS4 is unique to the IRS family and we identify the lack of a SHP2-binding domain in IRS4 as the molecular basis of this feature. Finally, we show that IRS4 and ERBB2/HER2 synergistically induce tumorigenesis and that IRS4-expression confers resistance to HER2-targeted therapy. Taken together, our findings present the cellular and molecular mechanisms of IRS4-induced tumorigenesis and establish IRS4 as an oncogenic driver and biomarker for therapy resistance in breast cancer.
Real-time optotracing of curli and cellulose in live Salmonella biofilms using luminescent oligothiophenes
Authors: Choong Ferdinand X , Bäck Marcus , Fahlén Sara , Johansson Leif BG , Melican Keira , Rhen Mikael , Nilsson K Peter R , Richter-Dahlfors Agneta
Published: November 2016

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is the protein- and polysaccharide-rich backbone of bacterial biofilms that provides a defensive barrier in clinical, environmental and industrial settings. Understanding the dynamics of biofilm formation in native environments has been hindered by a lack of research tools. Here we report a method for simultaneous, real-time, in situ detection and differentiation of the Salmonella ECM components curli and cellulose, using non-toxic, luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes (LCOs). These flexible conjugated polymers emit a conformation-dependent fluorescence spectrum, which we use to kinetically define extracellular appearance of curli fibres and cellulose polysaccharides during bacterial growth. The scope of this technique is demonstrated by defining biofilm morphotypes of Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium, and their isogenic mutants in liquid culture and on solid media, and by visualising the ECM components in native biofilms. Our reported use of LCOs across a number of platforms, including intracellular cellulose production in eukaryotic cells and in infected tissues, demonstrates the versatility of this optotracing technology, and its ability to redefine biofilm research.
Microbial biofilms and the human skin microbiome
Authors: Brandwein Michael , Steinberg Doron , Meshner Shiri
Published: November 2016

The human skin microbiome plays an important role in both health and disease. Microbial biofilms are a well-characterized mode of surface-associated growth, which present community-like behaviors. Additionally, biofilms are a critical element in certain skin diseases. We review how the perception of the resident skin microbiota has evolved from the early linkages of certain microbes to disease states, to a more comprehensive and intricate understanding brought on by biofilm and microbiome revelations. Rapidly expanding arsenals of experimental methods are opening new horizons in the study of human–microbe and microbe–microbe interactions. Microbial community profiling has largely remained a separate discipline from that of biofilm research, yet the introduction of metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, and the ability to distinguish between dormant and active members of a community have all paved the road toward a convergent cognizance of the encounter between these two microbial disciplines.
Non-stimulated adrenal venous sampling using Dyna computed tomography in patients with primary aldosteronism
Authors: Chang Chin-Chen , Lee Bo-Ching , Liu Kao-Lang , Chang Yeun-Chung , Wu Vin-Cent , Huang Kuo-How
Published: November 2016

In this retrospective study, we aimed to examine the effect of applying Dyna computed tomography (CT) on the success rate of adrenal venous sampling (AVS) without adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation. A total of 100 consecutive patients with primary aldosteronism who underwent AVS between May 2012 and July 2015 were enrolled. In all the cases, Dyna CT was used in AVS to validate catheter position in the right adrenal vein. A selectivity index (cortisoladrenal vein /cortisolinferior vena cava) of ≥2.0 of both adrenal veins were required for successful AVS. Dyna CT indicated misplaced catheters in 16 patients; of these patients, 75% (12/16) eventually had successful right AVS after catheter repositioning. The success rate of initial sampling at the right adrenal vein was 76% (76/100), which increased to 88% (88/100) after Dyna CT was applied (p < 0.001). The most common inadvertently catheterised vessels detected using Dyna CT were the accessory hepatic veins (56.3%, 9/16), followed by the renal capsular veins (37.5%, 6/16). The overall success rate of non-stimulated AVS using Dyna CT was 87% (87/100). Thus, the application of Dyna CT further increased the success rate of non-stimulated AVS.
Toward a new paradigm of DNA writing using a massively parallel sequencing platform and degenerate oligonucleotide
Authors: Hwang Byungjin , Bang Duhee
Published: November 2016

All synthetic DNA materials require prior programming of the building blocks of the oligonucleotide sequences. The development of a programmable microarray platform provides cost-effective and time-efficient solutions in the field of data storage using DNA. However, the scalability of the synthesis is not on par with the accelerating sequencing capacity. Here, we report on a new paradigm of generating genetic material (writing) using a degenerate oligonucleotide and optomechanical retrieval method that leverages sequencing (reading) throughput to generate the desired number of oligonucleotides. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the feasibility of our concept in digital information storage in DNA. In simulation, the ability to store data is expected to exponentially increase with increase in degenerate space. The present study highlights the major framework change in conventional DNA writing paradigm as a sequencer itself can become a potential source of making genetic materials.
The trend and the disease prediction of vascular endothelial growth factor and placenta growth factor in nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease
Authors: Lin Chou-Han , Shu Chin-Chung , Hsu Chia-Lin , Cheng Shih-Lung , Wang Jann-Yuan , Yu Chong-Jen , Lee Li-Na
Published: November 2016

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)-lung disease (LD) is an increasing health problem worldwide. The diagnosis of this disease remains difficult, however the application of placenta growth factor (PlGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has not yet been studied. We screened patients with Mycobacterium avium complex or M. abscessus isolated from sputum, and enrolled 32 patients with NTM-LD and 93 with NTM pulmonary colonization. The NTM-LD group had a lower body mass index, higher proportion of bronchiectasis, more respiratory symptoms and pulmonary lesions, and higher titers of sputum acid-fast stain than the NTM pulmonary colonization group. The plasma level of PlGF was lower in the NTM-LD group than in the NTM colonization group, whereas the level of VEGF was higher in the NTM-LD group. In multivariable logistic regression analysis excluding NTM cultures, the predictive model for NTM-LD included sputum AFS titer, a nodular-bronchiectasis radiographic pattern, plasma VEGF/PlGF ratio, and chest radiographic score (VEGF/P1GF ratio became not significant as a factor in multivariable generalized linear model). The four-factor predictive index had good positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio for predicting NTM-LD in the patients with NTM in their sputum.
A new grading system for plant-available potassium using exhaustive cropping techniques combined with chemical analyses of soils
Authors: Li Ting , Wang Huoyan , Zhou Zijun , Chen Xiaoqin , Zhou Jianmin
Published: November 2016

A new grading system for plant-available potassium (K) in soils based on K release rate from soils and plant growth indices was established. In the study, fourteen different agricultural soils from the southern subtropical to the northern temperate zones in China were analyzed by both chemical extraction methods and exhaustive cropping techniques. Based on the change trends in plant growth indices, relative biomass yields of 70% and 50%, K-deficient coefficients of 35 and 22 under conventional exhaustive experiments, and tissue K concentrations of 40 g kg−1 and 15 g kg−1 under intensive exhaustive experiments were obtained as critical values that represent different change trends. In addition, the extraction method using 0.2 mol L−1 sodium tetraphenylboron (NaTPB) suggested soil K release rates of 12 mg kg−1 min−1 and 0.4 mg kg−1 min−1 as turning points that illustrated three different release trends. Thus, plant-available K in soils was classified into three categories: high available K, medium available K and low available K, and grading criteria and measurement methods were also proposed. This work has increased our understanding of soil K bioavailability and has direct application in terms of routine assessment of agriculture soils.
Smart-aggregation imaging for single molecule localisation with SPAD cameras
Authors: Gyongy Istvan , Davies Amy , Dutton Neale A. W. , Duncan Rory R. , Rickman Colin , Henderson Robert K. , Dalgarno Paul A.
Published: November 2016

Single molecule localisation microscopy (SMLM) has become an essential part of the super-resolution toolbox for probing cellular structure and function. The rapid evolution of these techniques has outstripped detector development and faster, more sensitive cameras are required to further improve localisation certainty. Single-photon avalanche photodiode (SPAD) array cameras offer single-photon sensitivity, very high frame rates and zero readout noise, making them a potentially ideal detector for ultra-fast imaging and SMLM experiments. However, performance traditionally falls behind that of emCCD and sCMOS devices due to lower photon detection efficiency. Here we demonstrate, both experimentally and through simulations, that the sensitivity of a binary SPAD camera in SMLM experiments can be improved significantly by aggregating only frames containing signal, and that this leads to smaller datasets and competitive performance with that of existing detectors. The simulations also indicate that with predicted future advances in SPAD camera technology, SPAD devices will outperform existing scientific cameras when capturing fast temporal dynamics.
Improving the characterization of dissolved organic carbon in cloud water: Amino acids and their impact on the oxidant capacity
Authors: Bianco Angelica , Voyard Guillaume , Deguillaume Laurent , Mailhot Gilles , Brigante Marcello
Published: November 2016

Improving our understanding of cloud chemistry depends on achieving better chemical characterization (90% of the organic carbon [OC] fraction remains uncharacterized) and, consequently, assessing the reactivity of this complex system. In this manuscript, we report for the first time the concentrations of 16 amino acids (AAs) in 25 cloud water samples. The concentrations of individual AAs ranged from a few nM up to ~2.0 μM, and the average contribution of AAs corresponded to 9.1% (4.4 to 21.6%) of the dissolved OC (DOC) concentration. Considering their occurrence and concentrations, AAs were expected to represent an important hydroxyl radical (HO•) sink in aqueous cloud samples. In this work, we estimated that approximately 17% (from 7 to 36%) of the hydroxyl radical-scavenging ability of the DOC could be attributed to the presence of AAs, whereas comparing the AAs suggested that an average of 51% (from 22 to 80%) of their reactivity with HO• could account for the presence of tryptophan. These results clearly demonstrate that the occurrence and reactivity of AAs must be considered to better estimate the chemical composition and oxidant capacity of the cloud aqueous phase.
Driving Pest Insect Populations: Agricultural Chemicals Lead to an Adaptive Syndrome in Nilaparvata Lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)
Authors: You Lin-Lin , Wu You , Xu Bing , Ding Jun , Ge Lin-Quan , Yang Guo-Qin , Song Qi-Sheng , Stanley David , Wu Jin-Cai
Published: November 2016

The brown planthopper (BPH) is a devastating pest of rice throughout Asia. In this paper we document the BPH biogeographic range expansion in China over the 20-year period, 1992 to 2012. We posed the hypothesis that the range expansion is due to a syndrome of adaptations to the continuous presence of agricultural chemicals (insecticides and a fungicide) over the last 40 years. With respect to biogeography, BPH ranges have expanded by 13% from 1992 to 1997 and by another 3% from 1997 to 2012. In our view, such expansions may follow primarily from the enhancing effects of JGM, among other agricultural chemicals, and from global warming. JGM treatments led to increased thermotolerance, recorded as decreased mortality under heat stress at 40 ± 1 °C (down from 80% to 55%) and increased fecundity (by 49%) at 34 °C. At the molecular level, JGM treatments led to increased abundances of mRNA encoding Acetyl Co-A carboxylase (Acc) (up 25%) and Hsp70 (up 32%) in experimental BPH. RNAi silencing ofHsp70andAcceliminated the JGM effects on fecundity and silencingHsp70reduced JGM-induced thermotolerance. Integrated with global climate change scenarios, such syndromes in pest insect species have potential for regional- and global-scale agricultural disasters.
A simplified computational memory model from information processing
Authors: Zhang Lanhua , Zhang Dongsheng , Deng Yuqin , Ding Xiaoqian , Wang Yan , Tang Yiyuan , Sun Baoliang
Published: November 2016

This paper is intended to propose a computational model for memory from the view of information processing. The model, called simplified memory information retrieval network (SMIRN), is a bi-modular hierarchical functional memory network by abstracting memory function and simulating memory information processing. At first meta-memory is defined to express the neuron or brain cortices based on the biology and graph theories, and we develop an intra-modular network with the modeling algorithm by mapping the node and edge, and then the bi-modular network is delineated with intra-modular and inter-modular. At last a polynomial retrieval algorithm is introduced. In this paper we simulate the memory phenomena and functions of memorization and strengthening by information processing algorithms. The theoretical analysis and the simulation results show that the model is in accordance with the memory phenomena from information processing view.
Generation of macroscopic Schrödinger cat state in diamond mechanical resonator
Authors: Hou Qizhe , Yang Wanli , Chen Changyong , Yin Zhangqi
Published: November 2016

We propose a scheme to generate macroscopic Schrödinger cat state (SCS) in diamond mechanical resonator (DMR) via the dynamical strain-mediated coupling mechanism. In our model, the direct coupling between the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center and lattice strain field enables coherent spin–phonon interactions in the quantum regime. Based on a cyclic Δ-type transition structure of the NV center constructed by combining the quantized mechanical strain field and a pair of external microwave fields, the populations of the different energy levels can be selectively transferred by controlling microwave fields, and the SCS can be created by adjusting the controllable parameters of the system. Furthermore, we demonstrate the nonclassicality of the mechanical SCS both in non-dissipative case and dissipative case. The experimental feasibility and challenge are justified using currently available technology.
DNA barcoding of Mobulid Ray Gill Rakers for Implementing CITES on Elasmobranch in China
Authors: Zeng Yan , Wu Zhongze , Zhang Chunguang , Meng Zhibin , Jiang Zhigang , Zhang Jie
Published: November 2016

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has been counted on for conserving threatened marine fish since it regulates the commercial international trade of these species. Implementation of the international treaty for Mantas included on CITES Appendix II is challenging due to insufficient information on species identification and markets management. To fill the gap in such aspects, we identified five species of Mobulid rays (Mobula spps. and Manta spp) by using COI and NADH2 mtDNA markers in dried ray gill rakers from Chinese markets, namely, Mobula japonica (representing 54.8% of the sample set), M. tarapacana (14.4%), M. kuhlii (13.3%), M. thurstoni (6.4%), along with Manta birostris (11.2%; CITES Appendix II). The utilization and conservation statuses of these species were discussed. Based on combination of DNA barcodes and key morphological characters, we developed a three-step process for identifying the gill rakers of Mobulid rays which has been adopted by frontline enforcement in China. We hope that our work can serve as a foundation and basis to reinforce objectives of international treaties, regulation of consumer-driven markets, regional cooperation, and national fishery management on endangered elasmobranchs in China as well as related countries.
Edge effects reverse facilitation by a widespread foundation species
Authors: Jurgens Laura J. , Gaylord Brian
Published: November 2016

Dense aggregations of foundation species often mitigate environmental stresses for organisms living among them. Considerable work documents such benefits by comparing conditions inside versus outside these biogenic habitats. However, environmental gradients commonly arise across the extent of even single patches of habitat-forming species, including cases where stresses diverge between habitat interiors and edges. We ask here whether such edge effects could alter how habitat-forming species influence residents, potentially changing the strength or direction of interactions (i.e., from stress amelioration to exacerbation). We take as a model system the classic marine foundation species, Mytilus californianus, the California mussel. Results demonstrate that mussel beds both increase and decrease thermal stresses. Over a distance of 6 to 10 cm from the bed interior to its upper surface, peak temperatures climb from as much as 20 °C below to 5 °C above those of adjacent bedrock. This directional shift in temperature modification affects interactions with juvenile mussels, such that thermal stresses and associated mortality risk are higher at the bed surface, but substantially reduced deeper within the adult matrix. These findings provide a case example of how stress gradients generated across biogenic habitats can markedly alter ecological interactions even within a single habitat patch.
Genetic variations in the PI3K-PTEN-AKT-mTOR pathway are associated with distant metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy
Authors: Guo Qiaojuan , Lu Tianzhu , Chen Yan , Su Ying , Zheng Yuhong , Chen Zeng , Chen Chao , Lin Shaojun , Pan Jianji , Yuan Xianglin
Published: November 2016

Distant metastasis is the primary failure pattern of nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) in intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) era. This study was conducted to find the impact of genetic variations in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/phosphatase and tensin homologue(PTEN)/v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homologue(AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) pathway on the risk of distant metastasis in NPC. We genotyped 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) in five core genes in this pathway from 496 patients treated by IMRT with or without chemotherapy. The relationships between genetic polymorphisms and distant progression were evaluated. We observed that two loci in the AKT1 gene(rs3803300 and rs2494738 alone or combined) were associated with prognosis, with patients carrying at least one variant allele had significantly reduced risk of distant failure, especially in N2-3 group. In addition, we found that genetic variation may had some joint effect with N classification in recursive-partitioning analysis(RPA) analysis, with which patients were stratified into four different risk subgroups (RPA model): RPA1(low risk), RPA2(moderate risk), RPA3(high risk) and RPA4(highest risk). Our findings suggested that genetic variations within the PI3K signaling pathway modulate the development and invasion of NPC patients. Further research is needed to replicate the study in other centers and races, and to unravel the functional significance of these polymorphisms.
High Energy Particle Radiation-associated Oncogenic Transformation in Normal Mice: Insight into the Connection between Activation of Oncotargets and Oncogene Addiction
Authors: Aravindan Natarajan , Aravindan Sheeja , Manickam Krishnan , Natarajan Mohan
Published: November 2016

Concerns on high-energy particle radiation-induced tumorigenic transformation of normal tissue in astronauts, and in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, emphasizes the significance of elucidating the mechanisms involved in radiogenic transformation processes. Mostly used genetically modified or tumor-prone models are less reliable in determining human health risk in space or protracted post-treatment normal tissue toxicity. Here, in wild type C57BL/6 mice, we related the deregulation of distinctive set of tissue-specific oncotargets in major organs upon 56Fe (600 MeV/amu; 0.5 Gy/min; 0.8 Gy) particle radiation and compared the response with low LET γ-radiation (137Cs; 0.5 Gy/min; 2 Gy). One of the novel findings is the ‘tissue-independent’ activation of TAL2 upon high-energy radiation, and thus qualifies TAL2 as a potential biomarker for particle and other qualities of radiation. Heightened expression of TAL2 gene transcript, which sustained over four weeks post-irradiation foster the concept of oncogene addiction signaling in radiogenic transformation. The positive/negative expression of other selected oncotargets that expresses tissue-dependent manner indicated their role as a secondary driving force that addresses the diversity of tissue-dependent characteristics of tumorigenesis. This study, while reporting novel findings on radiogenic transformation of normal tissue when exposed to particle radiation, it also provides a platform for further investigation into different radiation quality, LET and dose/dose rate effect in healthy organs.
Origin of long-lived quantum coherence and excitation dynamics in pigment-protein complexes
Authors: Zhang Zhedong , Wang Jin
Published: November 2016

We explore the mechanism for the long-lived quantum coherence by considering the discrete phonon modes: these vibrational modes effectively weaken the exciton-environment interaction, due to the new composite (polaron) formed by excitons and vibrons. This subsequently demonstrates the role of vibrational coherence which greatly contributes to long-lived feature of the excitonic coherence that has been observed in femtosecond experiments. The estimation of the timescale of coherence elongated by vibrational modes is given in an analytical manner. To test the validity of our theory, we study the pigment-protein complex in detail by exploring the energy transfer and coherence dynamics. The ground-state vibrational coherence generated by incoherent radiations is shown to be long-survived and is demonstrated to be significant in promoting the excitation energy transfer. This is attributed to the nonequilibriumness of the system caused by the detailed-balance-breaking, which funnels the downhill migration of excitons.
Intestinal tuft cells regulate the ATM mediated DNA Damage response via Dclk1 dependent mechanism for crypt restitution following radiation injury
Authors: Chandrakesan Parthasarathy , May Randal , Weygant Nathaniel , Qu Dongfeng , Berry William L. , Sureban Sripathi M. , Ali Naushad , Rao Chinthalapally , Huycke Mark , Bronze Michael S. , Houchen Courtney W.
Published: November 2016

Crypt epithelial survival and regeneration after injury require highly coordinated complex interplay between resident stem cells and diverse cell types. The function of Dclk1 expressing tuft cells regulating intestinal epithelial DNA damage response for cell survival/self-renewal after radiation-induced injury is unclear. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) were isolated and purified and utilized for experimental analysis. We found that small intestinal crypts of VillinCre;Dclk1f/f mice were hypoplastic and more apoptotic 24 h post-total body irradiation, a time when stem cell survival is p53-independent. Injury-induced ATM mediated DNA damage response, pro-survival genes, stem cell markers, and self-renewal ability for survival and restitution were reduced in the isolated intestinal epithelial cells. An even greater reduction in these signaling pathways was observed 3.5 days post-TBI, when peak crypt regeneration occurs. We found that interaction with Dclk1 is critical for ATM and COX2 activation in response to injury. We determined that Dclk1 expressing tuft cells regulate the whole intestinal epithelial cells following injury through paracrine mechanism. These findings suggest that intestinal tuft cells play an important role in regulating the ATM mediated DNA damage response, for epithelial cell survival/self-renewal via a Dclk1 dependent mechanism, and these processes are indispensable for restitution and function after severe radiation-induced injury.
Nano sand filter with functionalized nanoparticles embedded in anodic aluminum oxide templates
Authors: Phuong NguyenThi , Andisetiawan Anugrah , Van Lam Do , Kim Jeong Hwan , Choi Doo-Sun , Whang Kyung-Hyun , Nham Jeasun , Lee Yun Jung , Yoo Yeong-Eun , Yoon Jae Sung
Published: November 2016

Since the ancient Egyptians had used sand as filter media for water purification, its principle has been inherited through generations and it is still being used now in industries. The sand filter consists of sand literally, and the voids within the sand bed are the pores for filtration. Here we present a filtration principle using nanoparticles, so that the voids between the nanoparticles can be considered as effective pores in nanoscale dimension. Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane has been used as the working template, and the nanoparticles have been injected and embedded within the pores of the AAO template. Nanoparticles with multiple sizes have been used in order to obtain smaller voids. Moreover, the nanoparticles have been functionalized, or electrically charged, with arginine/phenylalanine (RF) peptide group. In this way, filtration performance for charged particles or molecules, such as methylene blue, has been enhanced. Consequently, this study is expected to provide a new principle for fabrication of nano voids, or nano pores, and for filtration in nanoscale dimension.
Negative Magnetoresistance in Amorphous Indium Oxide Wires
Authors: Mitra Sreemanta , Tewari Girish C , Mahalu Diana , Shahar Dan
Published: November 2016

We study magneto-transport properties of several amorphous Indium oxide nanowires of different widths. The wires show superconducting transition at zero magnetic field, but, there exist a finite resistance at the lowest temperature. The R(T) broadening was explained by available phase slip models. At low field, and far below the superconducting critical temperature, the wires with diameter equal to or less than 100 nm, show negative magnetoresistance (nMR). The magnitude of nMR and the crossover field are found to be dependent on both temperature and the cross-sectional area. We find that this intriguing behavior originates from the interplay between two field dependent contributions.