bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grooved surface texturing by electrical discharge machining (EDM) under different lubrication regimes
Authors: Vilhena L. M. , Ramalho A. , Cavaleiro A.
Published: April 2017

The aim of the present research work was to investigate the effectiveness of grooved surface texturing with a rhombic geometry under different lubrication regimes. Tribological investigation under unidirectional sliding was focused on the effect of texturing parameters including pattern area density on the coefficient of friction under different lubrication regimes, achieved by varying sliding speed and lubricant viscosity. Grooved patterns with different textured area densities were produced on steel samples by electrical discharge machining. Results of this investigation showed that under boundary lubrication, textures resist sliding thus resulting in increased friction. The largest improvement of friction reduction was observed under hydrodynamic lubrication, for low‐viscosity oil when using the textured disc with 21% pattern area density. The reduction of the coefficient of friction if compared with the untextured surface was of approximately 24%. Examination of the sliding surfaces has not shown any quantifiable wear for the contact conditions studied.
Parallel transmit capability of various RF transmit elements and arrays at 7T MRI
Authors: Rietsch Stefan H. G. , Orzada Stephan , Bitz Andreas K. , Gratz Marcel , Ladd Mark E. , Quick Harald H.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

In this work, 22 configurations for remote radiofrequency (RF) coil arrays consisting of different transmit element designs for 7 Tesla (T) ultrahigh‐field MRI are compared by numerical simulations.

Methods

Investigated transmit RF element types are rectangular loops, micro striplines, micro striplines with meanders, 250‐mm shielded dipoles with meanders, and lambda over two dipoles with and without shield. These elements are combined in four different configurations of circumferential RF body arrays with four or eight transmit elements each. Comparisons included coupling behavior, degrees of freedom offered by the individual transmit patterns, and metrics like power and specific absorption rate efficiency.

Results

Coupling between neighboring RF elements is elevated (up to –7 dB) for all arrays with eight elements, whereas it is below –25 dB for arrays with only four elements. The cumulative sum of singular values points out highest degrees of freedom for the central transversal, reduced values in the central coronal, and minimum values in the sagittal slice. Concerning power and SAR efficiency, eight lambda over two dipoles are most advantageous.

Conclusions

Among the investigated remote arrays and parameters, a combination of eight dipoles appears to be most favorable for potential use in 7T body MRI. Magn Reson Med 79:1116–1126, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Online adaptive algorithm for optimal control of structures subjected to travelling loads
Authors: Pisarski Dominik , Myśliński Andrzej
Published: April 2017

The problem of adaptive optimal semiactive control of a structure subjected to a moving load is studied. The control is realised by a change of damping of the structure's supports. The results presented in the previous works of the authors demonstrate that switched optimal controls can be very efficient at reducing the vibration levels of the structure. On the other hand, these controls exhibit a high sensitivity to changes of the speed of the travelling load. The aim of this paper is to develop an algorithm that enables real‐time adaptation of the optimal controls according to both the measured speed of the travelling load and the estimated state of the structure. The control objective is to provide smooth passage for the vehicles and reduce the material stresses on the carrying structures. The designed adaptive algorithm uses reference optimal controls computed for constant speeds and a set of functions describing the sensitivity of the system dynamics to the measured parameters. The convergence of the algorithm, as well as aspects of its implementation, is studied. The performance of the proposed method is validated by means of numerical simulations conducted for different travelling speed scenarios. In the assumed objective functional, the proposed adaptive controller can outperform the reference optimal solutions by over 50%. The practicality of the proposed method should attract the attention of practising engineers.
Improving basic and membrane protein MS detection of the culture filtrate proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by biomimetic affinity prefractionation
Authors: Ma Guorong , Zhang Kang , Zhou Fuqiang , Gao Lina , Sun Zhanqiang , Deng Li , Zhang Shulin , Li Rongxiu
Published: April 2017

The culture filtrate proteins (CFPs) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been shown to induce protective immune responses in human and animal models, making them a promising source of candidate targets for tuberculosis drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics. The constituents of the M. tuberculosis CFP proteome are complex and vary with growth conditions. To effectively profile CFPs, gel‐based prefractionation is usually performed before MS analysis. In this study, we describe a novel prefractionation approach by which the proteome is divided into seven partially overlapping fractions by biomimetic affinity chromatography (BiAC) using a six‐column cascade. The LC‐MS/MS analysis of individual fractions identified a total of 541 CFPs, including 61 first‐time identifications. Notably, ∼1/3 (20/61) of these novel CFPs are membrane proteins, among which nine proteins have 2–14 transmembrane domains. In addition, ∼1/4 (14/61) of the CFPs are basic proteins with pI values greater than 9.0. Our data demonstrate that biomimetic affinity chromatography prefractionation markedly improves protein detection by LC‐MS/MS, and the coverage of basic and hydrophobic proteins in particular is remarkably increased.
Reproducibility of inspiratory muscle endurance testing using PowerBreathe for COPD patients
Authors: Basso‐Vanelli Renata P. , Di Lorenzo Valéria A.P. , Ramalho Mariane , Labadessa Ivana G. , Regueiro Eloisa M.G. , Jamami Mauricio , Costa Dirceu
Published: April 2017

Background

Assessing the strength and endurance of respiratory muscles is fundamental for characterizing respiratory muscle dysfunction. Although a variety of tests are used to evaluate respiratory muscle endurance, not all of them are applicable in clinical practice. Assessments can be made using a practical device called PowerBreathe®, but its reproducibility has not been tested in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.

Aim

To verify the reproducibility of the inspiratory muscle endurance test using a manometer and PowerBreathe® in COPD patients.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was used. In total, 19 moderate–severe COPD patients, male and female, aged 50 to 80 years took part in the research. This evaluation consisted of 2 tests: an incremental test and a constant one held on the same day and repeated after 48 hr. The incremental test started with 10‐cm H2O, adding 10‐cm H2O every 2 min and taking 1 min of rest before increasing the load. The highest load that could be sustained for at least 1 min was considered the sustained maximum inspiratory pressure (SMIP) value. The constant test was performed at an intensity of 80% of the SMIP and the maximum time limit was 30 min.

Results

In the incremental test, there was a significant increase in the SMIP compared to the test–retest (61 ± 24/64.7 ± 23.8; p = .015); the value of the relative reproducibility was 0.96, the standard error of the absolute measurement was 4.7 (95% confidence interval 9.2), and the minimum detectable difference was 10.9. In the Bland–Altman analysis, the mean error was 4.2 (confidence interval −7.6 to 16.1). The constant test was not reproducible.

Conclusion

It was observed that the incremental test was reproducible to evaluate inspiratory muscle endurance in COPD patients. Furthermore, 2 tests needed to be carried out due to the learning effect.
Inflation and conformal invariance: the perspective from radial quantization
Authors: Kehagias Alex , Riotto Antonio
Published: April 2017

According to the dS/CFT correspondence, correlators of fields generated during a primordial de Sitter phase are constrained by three‐dimensional conformal invariance. Using the properties of radially quantized conformal field theories and the operator‐state correspondence, we glean information on some points. The Higuchi bound on the masses of spin‐s states in de Sitter is a direct consequence of reflection positivity in radially quantized CFT3 and the fact that scaling dimensions of operators are energies of states. The partial massless states appearing in de Sitter correspond from the boundary CFT3 perspective to boundary states with highest weight for the conformal group. Finally, we discuss the inflationary consistency relations and the role of asymptotic symmetries which transform asymptotic vacua to new physically inequivalent vacua by generating long perturbation modes. We show that on the CFT3 side, asymptotic symmetries have a nice quantum mechanics interpretation. For instance, acting with the asymptotic dilation symmetry corresponds to evolving states forward (or backward) in “time” and the charge generating the asymptotic symmetry transformation is the Hamiltonian itself.
Characteristics of PTB7‐Th:C bulk heterojunction photocells under low‐light illumination: Critical effect of dark parallel resistance
Authors: Tada Kazuya
Published: April 2017

Solution‐processed organic photocell is one of the most promising candidates for the permanent power source for wireless devices. Since the device is not necessarily to be placed outdoor, and indoor light is generally weaker than outdoor light by 2–3 orders of magnitude, the characterization of the photocell under low‐light illumination is important for this purpose. In this study, bulk heterojunction photocells based on a low‐energy gap polymer poly[[4,8‐bis[5‐(2‐ethylhexyl)thiophene‐2‐yl]benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b]dithiophene‐2,6‐diyl][3‐fluoro‐2‐[(2‐ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4‐b]thiophenediyl]] (PTB7‐Th) as well as unmodified C prepared with a halogen‐free solvent 1,2,4‐trimethylbenzene, are characterized under low‐light illumination. The combination of a halogen‐free solvent with an unmodified fullerene potentially provides a way to develop environmentally friendly organic photocells. It is found that the photocells show higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) under lower light illumination intensity. That is, a device showing PCE of 4.9% under 1 sun illumination shows PCE over 9% at 3′ 10sun. A sublinear dependence of the short‐circuit photocurrent to the light intensity, as well as the increased fill‐factor at reduced illumination, is found to be a key to the high PCE at low‐light. The latter originates from the photoconduction in the composite. The critical effect of dark parallel resistance on the low‐light performance of the photocells is also demonstrated.
Second harmonic generation in asymmetric MgSe/CdSe/ZnCdMgSe quantum well structures
Authors: Yıldırım Hasan , Aslan Bulent
Published: April 2017

MgSe/CdSe/ZnCdMgSe step quantum well structures and coupled quantum well structures under an applied electric field have been investigated for the process of second harmonic generation (SHG) with the double‐resonant condition. The structural parameters of the quantum wells having equally spaced three consecutive energy levels within the conduction band have been determined by solving Schrödinger equation. It is shown that the energy level separation can be continuously tuned between 214 and 472 meV by changing the thickness and the material composition of the layers. The product of dipole matrix elements used in determining the second‐order nonlinear susceptibility is calculated to be as much as 473 . This is lower than the values obtained in widely known GaAs based material systems because of the high effective mass of electron in these selenides. However, the second‐order nonlinear susceptibility that controls SHG is found to be of the order of at its maximum; this is comparable to the values found in similar systems.
Utilizing Iron's Attractive Chemical and Magnetic Properties in Microrocket Design, Extended Motion, and Unique Performance
Authors: Karshalev Emil , Chen Chuanrui , Marolt Gregor , Martín Aída , Campos Isaac , Castillo Roxanne , Wu Tianlong , Wang Joseph
Published: April 2017

All‐in‐one material for microrocket propulsion featuring acid‐based bubble generation and magnetic guidance is presented. Electrochemically deposited iron serves as both a propellant, toward highly efficient self‐propulsion in acidic environments, and as a magnetic component enabling complete motion control. The new microrockets display longer lifetime and higher propulsion efficiency compared to previously reported active metal zinc‐based microrockets due to the chemical properties of iron and the unique structure of the microrockets. These iron‐based microrockets also demonstrate unique and attractive cargo towing and autonomous release capabilities. The latter is realized upon loss of the magnetic properties due to acid‐driven iron dissolution. More interestingly, these bubble‐propelled microrockets assemble via magnetic interactions into a variety of complex configurations and train structures, which enrich the behavior of micromachines. Modeling of the magnetic forces during the microrocket assembly and cargo capture confirms these unique experimentally observed assembly and cargo‐towing behaviors. These findings provide a new concept of blending propellant and magnetic components into one, toward simplifying the design and fabrication of artificial micro/nanomachines, realizing new functions and capabilities for a variety of future applications.
Graphene Decorated with Uniform Ultrathin (CoP)x–(FeP)1–x Nanorods: A Robust Non‐Noble‐Metal Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Liu Baocang , Huo Lili , Gao Zhiqing , Zhi Guolei , Zhang Geng , Zhang Jun
Published: April 2017

Developing high‐performance but low‐cost hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts with superior activity and stability for future sustainable energy conversion technologies is highly desired. Tuning of microstructure, configuration, and chemical composition are paramount to developing effective non‐noble electrocatalysts for HER. Herein, a universal “nanocasting” method is reported to construct graphene decorated with uniform ternary (CoP)x–(FeP)1−x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) nanorods hybrids with different chemical compositions [(CoP)x–(FeP)1−x–NRs/G] as a highly active and durable nonprecious‐metal electrocatalyst for the HER. The optimized (CoP)0.54–(FeP)0.46–NRs/G electrocatalyst exhibits overpotentials of as low as 57 and 97 mV at 10 mA cm−2, Tafel slopes of 52 and 62 mV dec−1, exchange current densities of 0.489 and 0.454 mA cm−2, and Faradaic efficiency of nearly 100% in acidic and alkaline media, respectively. More importantly, this electrocatalyst also exhibits high tolerance and durability in a wide pH range and keeps catalytic activity for at least 3000 cycles and 24 h of sustained hydrogen production. The excellent catalytic performance of the (CoP)x–(FeP)1−x–NRs/G electrocatalyst may be ascribed to its unique mesoporous structure and strong synergistic effect between CoP and FeP. Thus, the work provides a feasible way to fabricate cheap and highly efficient electrocatalyst as alternatives for Pt‐based electrocatalysts for HER in electrochemical water splitting.
Managing Innovation through Ma Thinking
Authors: Kodama Mitsuru
Published: April 2017

How do leading companies, organizations and individuals unceasingly produce high‐quality innovations? The actions and thinking of leading practitioners (innovators) originate in Ma thinking, the core theoretical concept presented in this paper. This paper discusses how Ma thinking triggers the combination of creativity and efficiency in people and organizations needed for the achievement of innovation.

In particular, this paper discusses new perspectives on organizational actions executed based on Ma thinking to strategically bring about new innovation, which involve dynamic thinking and practices at the micro level of practitioners not only in formal organizations but also in informal organizations.

The paper presents detailed case studies and theoretical concepts of innovation activities at the micro level in business workplaces from the perspective of strategic activities and organizational actions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nanotechnology for Electroanalytical Biosensors of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species
Authors: Seenivasan Rajesh , Kolodziej Charles , Karunakaran Chandran , Burda Clemens
Published: April 2017

Over the past several decades, nanotechnology has contributed to the progress of biomedicine, biomarker discovery, and the development of highly sensitive electroanalytical / electrochemical biosensors for in vitro and in vivo monitoring, and quantification of oxidative and nitrosative stress markers like reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). A major source of ROS and RNS is oxidative stress in cells, which can cause many human diseases, including cancer. Therefore, the detection of local concentrations of ROS (e. g. superoxide anion radical; O2•−) and RNS (e. g. nitric oxide radical; NO• and its metabolites) released from biological systems is increasingly important and needs a sophisticated detection strategy to monitor ROS and RNS in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we discuss the nanomaterials‐based ROS and RNS biosensors utilizing electrochemical techniques with emphasis on their biomedical applications.
Current management of renal cell cancer
Authors: Spain Lavinia , Turajlic Samra
Published: April 2017

The last decade has seen significant treatment advances in the management of renal cell cancer, from the availability of oral, targeted therapies to the recent introduction of immunotherapy. In this article the authors cover the risk factors for renal cancer and its different histological types, as well as the staging and management of both early and late‐stage disease.
Variational methods for steady‐state Darcy/Fick flow in swollen and poroelastic solids
Authors: Roubíček Tomáš
Published: April 2017

Existence of steady states in elastic media at small strains with diffusion of a solvent or fluid due to Fick's or Darcy's laws is proved by combining usage of variational methods inspired from static situations with Schauder's fixed‐point arguments. In the plain variant, the problem consists in the force equilibrium coupled with the continuity equation, and the underlying operator is non‐potential and non‐pseudomonotone so that conventional methods are not applicable. In advanced variants, electrically‐charged multi‐component flows through an electrically charged elastic solid are treated, employing critical points of the saddle‐point type. Eventually, anisothermal variants involving heat‐transfer equation are treated, too.
Tempering of Low-Temperature Bainite
Authors: Peet Mathew J. , Babu Sudarsanam Suresh , Miller Mike K. , Bhadeshia H. K. D. H.
Published: April 2017

Electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and atom probe tomography have been used to identify the changes which occur during the tempering of a carbide-free bainitic steel transformed at 473 K (200 °C). Partitioning of solute between ferrite and thin-films of retained austenite was observed on tempering at 673 K (400 °C) for 30 minutes. After tempering at 673 K (400 °C) and 773 K (500 °C) for 30 minutes, cementite was observed in the form of nanometre scale precipitates. Proximity histograms showed that the partitioning of solutes other than silicon from the cementite was slight at 673 K (400 °C) and more obvious at 773 K (500 °C). In both cases, the nanometre scale carbides are greatly depleted in silicon.
Molecular detection of viruses in Kenyan bats and discovery of
novel astroviruses, caliciviruses and rotaviruses
Authors: Waruhiu Cecilia , Ommeh Sheila , Obanda Vincent , Agwanda Bernard , Gakuya Francis , Ge Xing-Yi , Yang Xing-Lou , Wu Li-Jun , Zohaib Ali , Hu Ben , Shi Zheng-Li
Published: April 2017

This is the first country-wide surveillance of bat-borne viruses in Kenya spanning
from 2012–2015 covering sites perceived to have medium to high level bat-human
interaction. The objective of this surveillance study was to apply a non-invasive
approach using fresh feces to detect viruses circulating within the diverse species
of Kenyan bats. We screened for both DNA and RNA viruses; specifically, astroviruses
(AstVs), adenoviruses (ADVs), caliciviruses (CalVs), coronaviruses (CoVs),
flaviviruses, filoviruses, paramyxoviruses (PMVs), polyomaviruses (PYVs) and
rotaviruses. We used family-specific primers, amplicon sequencing and further
characterization by phylogenetic analysis. Except for filoviruses, eight virus
families were detected with varying distributions and positive rates across the five
regions (former provinces) studied. AstVs (12.83%), CoVs (3.97%), PMV (2.4%), ADV
(2.26%), PYV (1.65%), CalVs (0.29%), rotavirus (0.19%) and flavivirus (0.19%). Novel
CalVs were detected in Rousettus aegyptiacus and
Mops condylurus while novel
Rotavirus-A-related viruses were detected in Taphozous bats and R.
aegyptiacus. The two Rotavirus A (RVA)
strains detected were highly related to human strains with VP6 genotypes I2 and I16.
Genotype I16 has previously been assigned to human RVA-strain B10 from Kenya only,
which raises public health concern, particularly considering increased human-bat
interaction. Additionally, 229E-like bat CoVs were detected in samples originating
from Hipposideros bats roosting in sites with
high human activity. Our findings confirm the presence of diverse viruses in Kenyan
bats while providing extended knowledge on bat virus distribution. The detection of
viruses highly related to human strains and hence of public health concern,
underscores the importance of continuous surveillance.
A Quiescent Phase in Human Mortality? Exploring the Ages of Least Vulnerability
Authors: Engelman Michal , Seplaki Christopher L. , Varadhan Ravi
Published: April 2017

Demographic studies of mortality often emphasize the two ends of the lifespan, focusing on the declining hazard after birth or the increasing risk of death at older ages. We call attention to the intervening phase, when humans are least vulnerable to the force of mortality, and consider its features in both evolutionary and historical perspectives. We define this quiescent phase (Q-phase) formally, estimate its bounds using life tables for Swedish cohorts born between 1800 and 1920, and describe changes in the morphology of the Q-phase. We show that for cohorts aging during Sweden’s demographic and epidemiological transitions, the Q-phase became longer and more pronounced, reflecting the retreat of infections and maternal mortality as key causes of death. These changes revealed an underlying hazard trajectory that remains relatively low and constant during the prime ages for reproduction and investment in both personal capital and relationships with others. Our characterization of the Q-phase highlights it as a unique, dynamic, and historically contingent cohort feature, whose increased visibility was made possible by the rapid pace of survival improvements in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This visibility may be reduced or sustained under subsequent demographic regimes.
Trends in Education-Specific Life Expectancy, Data Quality, and Shifting Education Distributions: A Note on Recent Research
Authors: Hendi Arun S.
Published: April 2017

Several recent articles have reported conflicting conclusions about educational differences in life expectancy, and this is partly due to the use of unreliable data subject to a numerator-denominator bias previously reported as ranging from 20 % to 40 %. This article presents estimates of life expectancy and lifespan variation by education in the United States using more reliable data from the National Health Interview Survey. Contrary to prior conclusions in the literature, I find that life expectancy increased or stagnated since 1990 among all education-race-sex groups except for non-Hispanic white women with less than a high school education; there has been a robust increase in life expectancy among white high school graduates and a smaller increase among black female high school graduates; lifespan variation did not increase appreciably among high school graduates; and lifespan variation plays a very limited role in explaining educational gradients in mortality. I also discuss the key role that educational expansion may play in driving future changes in mortality gradients. Because of shifting education distributions, within an education-specific synthetic cohort, older age groups are less negatively selected than younger age groups. We could thus expect a greater concentration of mortality at younger ages among people with a high school education or less, which would be reflected in increasing lifespan variability for this group. Future studies of educational gradients in mortality should use more reliable data and should be mindful of the effects of shifting education distributions.
Longitudinal relations between adolescents' self‐esteem and prosocial behavior toward strangers, friends and family
Authors: Fu Xinyuan , Padilla‐Walker Laura M. , Brown Michael N.
Published: April 2017

The present study examined age‐trends and longitudinal bidirectional relations in self‐esteem and prosocial behavior toward strangers, friends, and family over a four‐year time period (age 11 to 14). A total of 681 adolescents were recruited in the United States (51% girls, 28% single parent families). A longitudinal panel model was conducted and the results showed that adolescent self‐esteem was associated longitudinally with subsequent prosocial behavior toward strangers, and earlier prosocial behavior toward strangers promoted subsequent self‐esteem. There were no such bidirectional relations between self‐esteem and prosocial behavior toward friends and family. Findings also highlight the complexity of adolescent development of selfesteem and the multidimensional nature of prosocial behavior. Discussion focuses on understanding the dynamic interplay between adolescent selfesteem and prosocial behavior.
Correlation between change of tongue area and skeletal stability after correction of mandibular prognathism
Authors: Tseng Yu‐Chuan , Wu Ju‐Hui , Chen Chun‐Ming , Hsu Kun‐Jung
Published: April 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between postoperative stability and a change in tongue area after treatment of mandibular prognathism. Twenty‐six patients, who were treated for mandibular prognathism using intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy, were evaluated cephalometrically. A set of three standardized lateral cephalograms were obtained from each participant preoperatively (T1), immediately postoperatively (T2), and after 2 years postoperatively (T3). Student t test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis. Immediately after the surgery (T12), the setback of the menton (Me) was 12.9 mm (p < 0.001) and the tongue area had significantly increased to 105.8 mm2 (p = 0.047). At a 2‐year follow‐up to examine postsurgical stability (T23), the Me exhibited a forward movement of 0.6 mm (p = 0.363) and the tongue area had significantly decreased to 124.3 mm2 (p = 0.004). Pearson correlation coefficient test revealed no statistical significance between postoperative stability and change in tongue area. The tongue area significantly increased during the T12 period and decreased during the T23 period. There is no significant correlation between postoperative skeletal relapse and a change in tongue area.
Human Tooth Crown and Root Morphology
Authors: Scott G. Richard , Irish Joel D.
Published: April 2017

This guide to scoring crown and root traits in human dentitions substantially builds on a seminal 1991 work by Turner, Nichol, and Scott. It provides detailed descriptions and multiple illustrations of each crown and root trait to help guide researchers to make consistent observations on trait expression, greatly reducing observer error. The book also reflects exciting new developments driven by technology that have significant ramifications for dental anthropology, particularly the recent development of a web-based application that computes the probability that an individual belongs to a particular genogeographic grouping based on combinations of crown and root traits; as such, the utility of these variables is expanded to forensic anthropology. This book is ideal for researchers and graduate students in the fields of dental, physical, and forensic anthropology and will serve as a methodological guide for many years to come.
A Democratic Bearing
Authors: White Stephen K.
Published: April 2017

In this rich analysis of the changing ideals of citizenship, Stephen K. White offers a path for the renewal of democratic life in the twenty-first century. Looking beyond passive notions of citizenship defined in terms of voting or passport possession, White seeks a more aspirational portrait, both participatory and inclusive, that challenges citizens, especially in the middle class, to confront power structures to achieve greater justice. Using the Tea Party and followers of Donald Trump as foils, he shows how these groups' resentful and exclusivist conceptions of active citizenship undermine democratic aspirations. White explores how such deleterious influence might be effectively engaged by a robust counter-conception on the democratic left. The book makes this aspirational ideal conceptually clear, normatively compelling and aesthetically attractive.
Correlation of reduced social communicational and interactional skills with regional grey matter volumes in schizophrenia patients
Authors: Ota Miho , Matsuo Junko , Sato Noriko , Teraishi Toshiya , Hori Hiroaki , Hattori Kotaro , Kamio Yoko , Kunugi Hiroshi
Published: April 2017

Objective

Recent studies have detected similarities between autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. We investigated structural abnormalities associated with autistic-like traits in patients with schizophrenia by voxel-based morphometry.

Methods

Patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects were evaluated by the adult version of the social responsiveness scale (SRS-A), which is sensitive to autistic traits and symptoms even under subthreshold conditions, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

There were significant decreases in the anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral hippocampi, cerebellums, and right insula of patients with schizophrenia, compared with healthy subjects. We found significant negative correlations of the social communication and interaction (SCI) score, a subscale of SRS-A, with grey matter volume in the left posterior superior temporal region of schizophrenia patients. When subscales of SCI were examined separately in schizophrenic patients, negative correlations were observed between the social cognition score and the volumes of the left posterior superior temporal region, and between social motivation and the posterior cingulate cortex.

Conclusion

We found significant negative correlation between the SCI score and the grey matter volume in the left posterior superior temporal region of schizophrenia patients. This area was the region affected in previous studies of autistic spectrum disorders. Further, this area was associated with the theory of mind. Schizophrenia patients not necessarily show the impairment of SCI, nor this correlated region was not always the point with schizophrenia-specific change. However, we reveal the relationship between the left posterior superior temporal gyrus and the severity of the SCI in schizophrenia by using with SRS-A.
Mustafa Olpak 1953–2016
Authors: Ferguson Michael , Kayagil Ayşegül
Published: April 2017

Mustafa Olpak, author of Kenya-Crete-Istanbul: Human Biographies from the Slave Coast, a family history of African slaves in the Ottoman Empire and their descendants in the Turkish Republic, as well as founder of the Africans Culture and Solidarity Association, died of heart failure on 3 October 2016. He was 63 years old.
Review Article
Authors: Kruijt Anne , Turin Mark
Published: April 2017

In response to a crescendo of public and scholarly interest, over the last two decades there has been a noticeable and mostly welcome surge in publications that focus on language documentation, conservation, and revitalization. Early and high impact contributions in Hale et al. (1992) included a now seminal article by Michael Krauss which called for urgent action to prevent linguistics from going down in history as the ‘only science that presided obliviously over the disappearance of 90% of the very field to which it is dedicated’ (Krauss 1992:10). There then followed a discussion on the topic by Ladefoged (1992) and a prompt reply by Dorian (1993) that situated the issue of language endangerment as one deserving of sustained academic attention. Alongside swelling bookshelves that speak to the urgency of this work, major research programs funded by private philanthropic organizations and research councils were also being established at this time. The Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL) was founded in 1995, followed a year later by the Endangered Language Fund (ELF). With the establishment of theDokumentation Bedrohter Sprachenprogram (DoBeS) in 2000, the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project (HRELP) in 2002, and the Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL) program funded by the US government in 2005, the last two decades bear witness to a steady increase in support, funding, and visibility for the documentation and preservation of endangered languages.
‘Says who?’ liquid authority and interpretive control in transnational regulatory regimes
Authors: Black Julia
Published: April 2017

The article explores the notion of liquid authority by examining the ways in which the central organizations in three transnational regulatory-governance regimes do or do not attempt to establish interpretive control over the norms that they issue: the International Accounting Standards Board, the International Organisation of Standardisation, and the Forest Stewardship Council. The need to ‘solidify’ their authority ranges across all of their regulatory functions; this article focusses on just one of those functions: interpretation. In focussing on how these regulators seek to exercise interpretive control, the article seeks to show how liquid authority can crystallize. Further, the article develops the notion of liquid authority by arguing that the establishment, exercise, and continual maintenance of authority in transnational regulatory regimes, which are characterized by liquid authority as they lack a formal, legal base, are fundamentally linked to the issue of legitimacy. It argues in turn that legitimacy, and thus authority, is endogenously produced, a fact which exogenous, normative assessments of legitimacy can overlook. The article argues that regulators play an active role in their own legitimation – in creating, exercising, and maintaining their legitimacy, and in turn their authority, and that their success or otherwise in doing so is linked in part to their functional effectiveness, but that transnational regulators face a legitimacy paradox: they depend in part on such effectiveness for their legitimacy. The article supplements the ‘anatomical’ analysis of liquid authority with an understanding of the physiology of legitimation.
Crystal structure of Zen4 in the apo state reveals a missing conformation of kinesin
Authors: Guan Ruifang , Zhang Lei , Su Qian Peter , Mickolajczyk Keith J. , Chen Geng-Yuan , Hancock William O. , Sun Yujie , Zhao Yongfang , Chen Zhucheng
Published: April 2017

Kinesins hydrolyse ATP to transport intracellular cargoes along microtubules. Kinesin neck linker (NL) functions as the central mechano-chemical coupling element by changing its conformation through the ATPase cycle. Here we report the crystal structure of kinesin-6 Zen4 in a nucleotide-free, apo state, with the NL initial segment (NIS) adopting a backward-docked conformation and the preceding α6 helix partially melted. Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) analyses indicate the NIS of kinesin-1 undergoes similar conformational changes under tension in the two-head bound (2HB) state, whereas it is largely disordered without tension. The backward-docked structure of NIS is essential for motility of the motor. Our findings reveal a key missing conformation of kinesins, which provides the structural basis of the stable 2HB state and offers a tension-based rationale for an optimal NL length to ensure processivity of the motor.
Endothelial LRP1 regulates metabolic responses by acting as a co-activator of PPARγ
Authors: Mao Hua , Lockyer Pamela , Li Luge , Ballantyne Christie M. , Patterson Cam , Xie Liang , Pi Xinchun
Published: April 2017

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) regulates lipid and glucose metabolism in liver and adipose tissue. It is also involved in central nervous system regulation of food intake and leptin signalling. Here we demonstrate that endothelial Lrp1 regulates systemic energy homeostasis. Mice with endothelial-specific Lrp1 deletion display improved glucose sensitivity and lipid profiles combined with increased oxygen consumption during high-fat-diet-induced obesity. We show that the intracellular domain of Lrp1 interacts with the nuclear receptor Pparγ, a central regulator of lipid and glucose metabolism, acting as its transcriptional co-activator in endothelial cells. Therefore, Lrp1 not only acts as an endocytic receptor but also directly participates in gene transcription. Our findings indicate an underappreciated functional role of endothelium in maintaining systemic energy homeostasis.
Olive oil in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies and intervention trials
Authors: Schwingshackl L , Lampousi A-M , Portillo M P , Romaguera D , Hoffmann G , Boeing H
Published: April 2017

Background/Objectives:

Olive oil (OO) as food is composed mainly of fatty acids and bioactive compounds depending from the extraction method. Both had been discussed as health promoting with still open questions. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to illustrate the impact of this food on type 2 diabetes (T2D) by investigating the association between OO intake and risk of T2D, and the effect of OO intake in the management of T2D.

Subjects/Methods:

Searches were performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library and google scholar. First, we conducted a random effect meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and trials investigating the association between OO and risk of T2D. Second, a meta-analysis was performed to detect the effects of olive oil on glycemic control in patients with T2D.

Results:

Four cohort studies including 15 784 T2D cases and 29 trials were included in the meta-analysis. The highest OO intake category showed a 16% reduced risk of T2D (RR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.92) compared with the lowest. However, we observed evidence for a nonlinear relationship. In T2D patients OO supplementation resulted in a significantly more pronounced reduction in HbA1c (MD: −0.27%; 95% CI: −0.37, −0.17) and fasting plasma glucose (MD: −0.44 mmol l−1; 95% CI −0.66, −0.22) as compared with the control groups.

Conclusions:

This meta-analysis provides evidence that the intake of OO could be beneficial for the prevention and management of T2D. This conclusion regards OO as food, and might not been valid for single components comprising this food.
Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and association with metabolic syndrome in a Qatari population
Authors: Al-Dabhani K , Tsilidis K K , Murphy N , Ward H A , Elliott P , Riboli E , Gunter M , Tzoulaki I
Published: April 2017

Objectives:

Despite long hours of sunlight in Qatar and other regions of the Middle East, vitamin D deficiency has been rising. In parallel, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome has also been increasing in Qatar. Vitamin D levels have been associated with metabolic syndrome but the data are inconsistent and no studies have addressed these inter-relationships in a Middle Eastern population where the prevalence of these conditions is high. The objective is to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its association with metabolic syndrome and its components in the Qatar Biobank population.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study of 1205 participants (702 women and 503 men) from the Qatar Biobank, comprising Qataris and non-Qataris between the ages of 18 and 80 years, was used to perform multivariate linear regression analyses to examine the association between metabolic syndrome and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (defined as <20 ng ml−1 serum vitamin D levels) adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, season of blood collection, physical activity and education. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for all analyses.

Results:

Approximately 64% of participants were vitamin D deficient (<20 ng ml−1) with more men being deficient (68.6%) than women (61.3%). Serum vitamin D was 8% lower in individuals with metabolic syndrome (RR: 0.92, 95%CI: 0.87–0.98, P-value: 0.01) compared to individuals without metabolic syndrome. Waist circumference and HDL as well as high triglyceride levels were also significantly positively associated with vitamin D deficiency. No association was found between the other components of metabolic syndrome or diabetes and the presence of vitamin D deficiency.

Conclusions:

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in this Qatari population. Presence of metabolic syndrome was associated with presence of vitamin D deficiency. Future prospective studies need to be conducted to investigate the potential for causality.
The role of sex and body weight on the metabolic effects of high-fat diet in C57BL/6N mice
Authors: Ingvorsen C , Karp N A , Lelliott C J
Published: April 2017

Background:

Metabolic disorders are commonly investigated using knockout and transgenic mouse models on the C57BL/6N genetic background due to its genetic susceptibility to the deleterious metabolic effects of high-fat diet (HFD). There is growing awareness of the need to consider sex in disease progression, but limited attention has been paid to sexual dimorphism in mouse models and its impact in metabolic phenotypes. We assessed the effect of HFD and the impact of sex on metabolic variables in this strain.

Methods:

We generated a reference data set encompassing glucose tolerance, body composition and plasma chemistry data from 586 C57BL/6N mice fed a standard chow and 733 fed a HFD collected as part of a high-throughput phenotyping pipeline. Linear mixed model regression analysis was used in a dual analysis to assess the effect of HFD as an absolute change in phenotype, but also as a relative change accounting for the potential confounding effect of body weight.

Results:

HFD had a significant impact on all variables tested with an average absolute effect size of 29%. For the majority of variables (78%), the treatment effect was modified by sex and this was dominated by male-specific or a male stronger effect. On average, there was a 13.2% difference in the effect size between the male and female mice for sexually dimorphic variables. HFD led to a significant body weight phenotype (24% increase), which acts as a confounding effect on the other analysed variables. For 79% of the variables, body weight was found to be a significant source of variation, but even after accounting for this confounding effect, similar HFD-induced phenotypic changes were found to when not accounting for weight.

Conclusion:

HFD and sex are powerful modifiers of metabolic parameters in C57BL/6N mice. We also demonstrate the value of considering body size as a covariate to obtain a richer understanding of metabolic phenotypes.
Phenotypic profiling of CFTR modulators in patient-derived respiratory epithelia
Authors: Ahmadi Saumel , Bozoky Zoltan , Di Paola Michelle , Xia Sunny , Li Canhui , Wong Amy P. , Wellhauser Leigh , Molinski Steven V. , Ip Wan , Ouyang Hong , Avolio Julie , Forman-Kay Julie D. , Ratjen Felix , Hirota Jeremy A. , Rommens Johanna , Rossant Janet , Gonska Tanja , Moraes Theo J. , Bear Christine E.
Published: April 2017

Pulmonary disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis, a disease caused by mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene. Heterogeneity in CFTR genotype–phenotype relationships in affected individuals plus the escalation of drug discovery targeting specific mutations highlights the need to develop robust in vitro platforms with which to stratify therapeutic options using relevant tissue. Toward this goal, we adapted a fluorescence plate reader assay of apical CFTR-mediated chloride conductance to enable profiling of a panel of modulators on primary nasal epithelial cultures derived from patients bearing different CFTR mutations. This platform faithfully recapitulated patient-specific responses previously observed in the “gold-standard” but relatively low-throughput Ussing chamber. Moreover, using this approach, we identified a novel strategy with which to augment the response to an approved drug in specific patients. In proof of concept studies, we also validated the use of this platform in measuring drug responses in lung cultures differentiated from cystic fibrosis iPS cells. Taken together, we show that this medium throughput assay of CFTR activity has the potential to stratify cystic fibrosis patient-specific responses to approved drugs and investigational compounds in vitro in primary and iPS cell-derived airway cultures.
Development and outcomes of a primary care-based sleep assessment service in Canterbury, New Zealand
Authors: Epton Michael J. , Kelly Paul T. , Shand Brett I. , Powell Sallyanne V. , Jones Judith N. , McGeoch Graham R. B. , Hlavac Michael C.
Published: April 2017

Prior to 2007, increasing demand for sleep services, plus inability to adequately triage severity, led to long delays in sleep assessment and accessing continuous positive airway pressure. We established a community sleep assessment service carried out by trained general practices using a standardised tool and overnight oximetry. All cases were discussed at a multi-disciplinary meeting, with four outcomes: severe obstructive sleep apnoea treated with continuous positive airway pressure; investigation with more complex studies; sleep physician appointment; no or non-severe sleep disorder for general practitioner management. Assessment numbers increased steadily (~400 in 2007 vs. 1400 in 2015). Median time from referral to assessment and multi-disciplinary meeting was 28 and 48 days, respectively. After the first multi-disciplinary meeting, 23% of cases were assessed as having severe obstructive sleep apnoea. More complex studies (mostly flow based) were required in 49% of patients, identifying severe obstructive sleep apnoea in a further 13%. Thirty-seven percent of patients had obstructive sleep apnoea severe enough to qualify for funded treatment. Forty-eight percent of patients received a definitive answer from the first multi-disciplinary meeting. Median time from referral to continuous positive airway pressure for ‘at risk’ patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea, e.g., commercial drivers, was 49 days, while patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea but not ‘at risk’ waited 261 days for continuous positive airway pressure. Ten percent of patients required polysomnography, and 4% saw a sleep specialist. In conclusion, establishment of a community sleep assessment service and sleep multi-disciplinary meeting led to significantly more assessments, with short waiting times for treatment, especially in high-risk patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea. Most patients can be assessed without more complex studies or face-to-face review by a sleep specialist.