bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selective fluorescence assay of aluminum and cyanide ions using chemosensor containing naphthol
Authors: Kim Soojin , Noh Jin Young , Park Sol Ji , Na Yu Jeong , Hwang In Hong , Min Jisook , Kim Cheal , Kim Jinheung
Published: April 2014

The selective assay of aluminum and cyanide ions is reported using fluorescence enhancement and quenching of a phenol–naphthol based chemosensor (PNI) in aqueous and nonaqueous solvents, respectively.
High internal phase emulsion gels (HIPE-gels) prepared using food-grade components
Authors: Patel Ashok R. , Rodriguez Ysamar , Lesaffer Ans , Dewettinck Koen
Published: April 2014

We report a new approach of using dispersed water phase gelation as a mode to create oil continuous emulsion gels. Low temperature gelation property of synergistic hydrocolloid combinations was exploited to develop elastic soft solids using only food-grade components.
Multifunctional polydiacetylene-liposome with controlled release and fluorescence tracing
Authors: Yan Xiaojuan , An Xueqin
Published: April 2014

A multifunctional polydiacetylene-liposome (PDA-liposome) was prepared by self-assembly, which can be characterized with controlled drug release and fluorescence tracing.
Ambient condition oxidation in individual liposomes observed at the single molecule level
Authors: Godin Robert , Liu Hsiao-Wei , Cosa Gonzalo
Published: April 2014

A ratiometric method based on a fluorogenic α-tocopherol analogue reveals oxidation occurring under ambient conditions during liposome preparation.
Multiple metal-bound oligomers from Ir-catalysed dehydropolymerisation of H3B·NH3 as probed by experiment and computation
Authors: Kumar Amit , Johnson Heather C. , Hooper Thomas N. , Weller Andrew S. , Algarra Andrés G. , Macgregor Stuart A.
Published: April 2014

Multiple metal-bound oligomers in the dehydropolymerisation of H3B·NH3 have been observed experimentally and the mechanism of oligomerisation probed computationally.
Synthesis, characterization and gas transport properties of novel poly(amine-imide)s containing tetraphenylmethane pendant groups
Authors: Mao Hongchao , Zhang Suobo
Published: April 2014

Rigid and bulky tetraphenylmethane pendant group containing poly(amine-imide)s were designed and prepared for gas separation applications.
Effects of the La/W ratio and doping on the structure, defect structure, stability and functional properties of proton-conducting lanthanum tungstate La28−xW4+xO54+δ. A review
Authors: Magrasó Anna , Haugsrud Reidar
Published: April 2014

The structural and functional properties of proton conducting lanthanum tungstate La28−xW4+xO54+3x/2 (x ∼ 1) are reviewed.
A 2-D photonic crystal hydrogel for selective sensing of glucose
Authors: Xue Fei , Meng Zihui , Wang Fengyan , Wang Qiuhong , Xue Min , Xu Zhibin
Published: April 2014

A novel 2-D photonic crystal hydrogel for selective glucose sensing is produced by attaching a 2-D colloidal array onto the phenylboronic acid modified hydrogel.
Maximum energy transfer condition for piezoelectric energy harvesters with single pulsed vibration inputs
Authors: Yang Joonseok , Lee Sanggu , Kim Jaeha
Published: April 2014

The optimal capacitive load condition is derived for a passive bridge rectifier to harvest the maximum amount of energy when a piezoelectric generator (PG) receives a single vibration pulse (e.g. a button press). When the PG is modelled as a current pulse generator with an internal shunt capacitance (CP), it is shown that an ideal bridge rectifier collects the maximum energy when its output capacitance is set to 3·CP. The impacts of the nonzero turn‐on voltage and on‐resistance of the diodes are also discussed. The experimental results with a 300 mm2 lead magnesium niobate‐lead titanate PG and a Schottky‐bridge rectifier with 0.22 V turn‐on voltage demonstrate that the maximum energy transfer occurs at a capacitance ratio of 3.3, collecting 117 μJ from a single button press.
Blind multiband spectrum sensing for cognitive radio systems with smart antennas
Authors: Qing Haobo , Liu Yuanan , Xie Gang , Liu Kaiming , Liu Fang
Published: April 2014

Energy detection is a widely used method for spectrum sensing in cognitive radios because of its simplicity and accuracy. However, it is severely affected by noise uncertainty. To solve this problem, this study raises a blind multiband spectrum sensing method with smart antennas which is robust to noise uncertainty. The proposed method performs spectrum sensing simultaneously over the total frequency channels rather than a single channel each time. Owing to the fact that the noise eigenvectors of the sample covariance matrix are orthogonal to the direction matrix whereas the signal eigenvectors are not, the proposal utilises the Gerschgorin radii of the unitary transformed covariance matrix to distinguish the noise from the signal. Unlike the conventional sensing methods, the authors' approach does not need any prior knowledge of the noise power or the primary user signals, which makes it suitable for blind spectrum sensing. This study presents simulations in various conditions to validate the performance of the proposed scheme and shows that their proposal outperforms the other existing methods.
Modified channel‐independent weighted bit flipping decoding algorithm for low‐density‐parity‐check codes
Authors: Zhang Gaoyuan , Zhou Liang , Wen Hong
Published: April 2014

In this study, a modified channel‐independent weighted bit flipping (CIWBF) decoding algorithm is proposed for low‐density‐parity‐check codes. This modification, based on the ‘additive offset term adjustment’ in the reliability of the check sum, can also be applied to the reliability ratio weighted bit flipping algorithm. Simulation results show that the performance of the author's improved modified CIWBF algorithm is better than that of CIWBF algorithm about 0.45 dB at bit‐error rate of 10−5 over an additive white Gaussian noise channel without much complexity increase.
Development of a sampling‐based global sensitivity analysis workflow for multiscale computational cancer models
Authors: Wang Zhihui , Deisboeck Thomas S. , Cristini Vittorio
Published: April 2014

There are two challenges that researchers face when performing global sensitivity analysis (GSA) on multiscale ‘in silico’ cancer models. The first is increased computational intensity, since a multiscale cancer model generally takes longer to run than does a scale‐specific model. The second problem is the lack of a best GSA method that fits all types of models, which implies that multiple methods and their sequence need to be taken into account. In this study, the authors therefore propose a sampling‐based GSA workflow consisting of three phases – pre‐analysis, analysis and post‐analysis – by integrating Monte Carlo and resampling methods with the repeated use of analysis of variance; they then exemplify this workflow using a two‐dimensional multiscale lung cancer model. By accounting for all parameter rankings produced by multiple GSA methods, a summarised ranking is created at the end of the workflow based on the weighted mean of the rankings for each input parameter. For the cancer model investigated here, this analysis reveals that extracellular signal‐regulated kinase, a downstream molecule of the epidermal growth factor receptor signalling pathway, has the most important impact on regulating both the tumour volume and expansion rate in the algorithm used.
Thin-liquid-film flow on a topographically patterned rotating cylinder
Authors: Sahu Akhilesh K. , Kumar Satish
Published: April 2014

The flow of thin liquid films on rotating surfaces is directly relevant to the coating of discrete objects. To begin understanding how surface topography influences such flows, we consider a model problem in which a thin liquid film flows over a rotating cylinder patterned with a sinusoidal surface topography. Lubrication theory is applied to develop a partial differential equation that governs the film thickness as a function of time and the angular coordinate. Static situations are considered first in order to determine the parameter regime in which the lubrication approximation is expected to be valid. When gravitational forces are relatively weak, cylinder rotation leads to the formation of droplets connected by very thin films. The number of droplets is equal to the pattern frequency at low and high rotation rates, with the droplets located at the pattern troughs at low rotation rates and the pattern crests at high rotation rates. When gravitational forces become significant, the film thickness never reaches a steady state, in contrast to the case of an unpatterned cylinder. The results of this work clearly establish that the flow of thin liquid films on rotating surfaces can be very sensitive to the presence of surface topography.
Nuclear spin circular dichroism
Authors: Vaara Juha , Rizzo Antonio , Kauczor Joanna , Norman Patrick , Coriani Sonia
Published: April 2014

Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in magneto-optic spectroscopy techniques that use nuclear magnetization as the source of the magnetic field. Here we present a formulation of magnetic circular dichroism (CD) due to magnetically polarized nuclei, nuclear spin-induced CD (NSCD), in molecules. The NSCD ellipticity and nuclear spin-induced optical rotation (NSOR) angle correspond to the real and imaginary parts, respectively, of (complex) quadratic response functions involving the dynamic second-order interaction of the electron system with the linearly polarized light beam, as well as the static magnetic hyperfine interaction. Using the complex polarization propagator framework, NSCD and NSOR signals are obtained at frequencies in the vicinity of optical excitations. Hartree-Fock and density-functional theory calculations on relatively small model systems, ethene, benzene, and 1,4-benzoquinone, demonstrate the feasibility of the method for obtaining relatively strong nuclear spin-induced ellipticity and optical rotation signals. Comparison of the proton and carbon-13 signals of ethanol reveals that these resonant phenomena facilitate chemical resolution between non-equivalent nuclei in magneto-optic spectra.
Adjusting magnetic nanostructures for high-performance magnetic sensors
Authors: Yin Xiaolu , Skomski Ralph , Sellmyer David , Liou Sy-Hwang , Russek Stephen E. , Evarts Eric R. , Moreland John , Edelstein A. S. , Yuan L. , Yan M. L. , Shen J.
Published: April 2014

The magnetic properties of the soft ferromagnetic layer in magnetic tunnel junctions are one of key factors to determine the performance of magnetoresistance sensors. We use a three-step orthogonal annealing procedure to modify the nanostructures of the free layer in the magnetic tunnel junction to control features such as magnetization reversal, coercivity, exchange field, and tunnel magnetoresistance ratio. We present a sensor with an improved sensitivity as high as 3944%/mT. This magnetic sensor only dissipates 200 μW of power while operating under an applied voltage of 1 V.
Investigation of charge compensation in indium-doped tin dioxide by hydrogen insertion via annealing under humid conditions
Authors: Watanabe Ken , Ohsawa Takeo , Sakaguchi Isao , Bierwagen Oliver , White Mark E. , Tsai Min-Ying , Takahashi Ryosuke , Ross Emily M. , Adachi Yutaka , Speck James S. , Haneda Hajime , Ohashi Naoki
Published: April 2014

The behavior of hydrogen (H) as an impurity in indium (In)-doped tin dioxide (SnO2) was investigated by mass spectrometry analyses, with the aim of understanding the charge compensation mechanism in SnO2. The H-concentration of the In-doped SnO2 films increased to (1–2) × 1019 cm−3 by annealing in a humid atmosphere (WET annealing). The electron concentration in the films also increased after WET annealing but was two orders of magnitude less than their H-concentrations. A self-compensation mechanism, based on the assumption that H sits at substitutional sites, is proposed to explain the mismatch between the electron- and H-concentrations.
Excitation and recombination dynamics of vacancy-related spin centers in silicon carbide
Authors: Hain T. C. , Fuchs F. , Soltamov V. A. , Baranov P. G. , Astakhov G. V. , Hertel T. , Dyakonov V.
Published: April 2014

We generate silicon vacancy related defects in high-quality epitaxial silicon carbide layers by means of electron irradiation. By controlling the irradiation fluence, the defect concentration is varied over several orders of magnitude. We establish the excitation profile for optical pumping of these defects and evaluate the optimum excitation wavelength of 770 nm. We also measure the photoluminescence dynamics at room temperature and find a monoexponential decay with a characteristic lifetime of 6.1 ns. The integrated photoluminescence intensity depends linear on the excitation power density up to 20 kW/cm2, indicating a relatively small absorption cross section of these defects.
Optical anisotropy in bismuth titanate: An experimental and theoretical study
Authors: Roy Amritendu , Prasad Rajendra , Auluck Sushil , Garg Ashish
Published: April 2014

We report experimental and theoretical investigation of anisotropy in optical properties and their origin in the ferroelectric and paraelectric phases of bismuth titanate. Room temperature ellipsometric measurements performed on pulsed laser deposited bismuth titanate thin films of different orientations show anisotropy in the dielectric and optical constants. Subsequent first-principles calculations performed on the ground state structures of ferroelectric and high temperature paraelectric phases of bismuth titanate show that the material demonstrates anisotropic optical behavior in both ferroelectric and paraelectric phases. We further show that O 2p to Ti 3d transition is the primary origin of optical property of the material while optical anisotropy results from the asymmetrically oriented Ti-O bonds in TiO6 octahedra in the unit cell.
Surface self-diffusion of silicon during high temperature annealing
Authors: Acosta-Alba Pablo E. , Kononchuk Oleg , Gourdel Christophe , Claverie Alain
Published: April 2014

The atomic-scale mechanisms driving thermally activated self-diffusion on silicon surfaces are investigated by atomic force microscopy. The evolution of surface topography is quantified over a large spatial bandwidth by means of the Power Spectral Density functions. We propose a parametric model, based on the Mullins-Herring (M-H) diffusion equation, to describe the evolution of the surface topography of silicon during thermal annealing. Usually, a stochastic term is introduced into the M-H model in order to describe intrinsic random fluctuations of the system. In this work, we add two stochastic terms describing the surface thermal fluctuations and the oxidation-evaporation phenomenon. Using this extended model, surface evolution during thermal annealing in reducing atmosphere can be predicted for temperatures above the roughening transition. A very good agreement between experimental and theoretical data describing roughness evolution and self-diffusion phenomenon is obtained. The physical origin and time-evolution of these stochastic terms are discussed. Finally, using this model, we explore the limitations of the smoothening of the silicon surfaces by rapid thermal annealing.
Extensive domain wall motion and deaging resistance in morphotropic 0.55Bi(Ni1/2Ti1/2)O3–0.45PbTiO3 polycrystalline ferroelectrics
Authors: Tutuncu Goknur , Fan Longlong , Chen Jun , Xing Xianran , Jones Jacob L.
Published: April 2014

Domain wall motion is known as a major source of extrinsic contributions to the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of ferroelectric materials. In the present work, we report the extent of non-180° domain wall motion during strong and weak electric field amplitudes in situ using time-resolved, high-energy X-ray diffraction in the ferroelectric morphotropic phase boundary composition 0.55Bi(Ni1/2Ti1/2)O3–0.45PbTiO3 (BNT-45PT). After application of strong electric fields, two phases are shown to coexist. In the tetragonal phase of this material, the extent of 90° domain wall motion is significant and the domain alignment is nearly saturated. Weak (subswitching) cyclic electric fields are then also shown to induce domain wall motion. Deaging, or the progressive loss of preferred domain orientation during sequentially increasing field amplitudes, is notably low in these materials, showing that the initial domain alignment is strongly stabilized. Overall, the in situ measurements reveal that domain wall motion significantly impacts the structure and properties of BNT-45PT and reinforces the importance of understanding domain wall motion contributions to the physical properties of ferroelectrics.
Manipulation of magnetic field on dielectric constant and electric polarization in Cr2WO6
Authors: Fang Y. , Wang L. Y. , Song Y. Q. , Tang T. , Wang D. H. , Du Y. W.
Published: April 2014

The magnetic, dielectric, and magnetoelectric properties are investigated in the polycrystalline Cr2WO6. Under zero magnetic fields, no dielectric anomaly and electric polarization are observed in this compound. After magnetoelectric annealing, the magnetic-field-induced dielectric and pyroelectric current peaks simultaneously present around its Néel temperature and increase with increasing magnetic field, showing large magneto-dielectric and linear magnetoelectric effects in Cr2WO6. The origin of magnetoelectric effect in this compound is discussed.
Low-power all-optical tunable plasmonic-mode coupling in nonlinear metamaterials
Authors: Zhang Fan , Hu Xiaoyong , Yang Hong , Gong Qihuang
Published: April 2014

All-optical tunable plasmonic-mode coupling is realized in a nonlinear photonic metamaterial consisting of periodic arrays of gold asymmetrically split ring resonators, covered with a poly[(methyl methacrylate)-co-(disperse red 13 acrylate)] azobenzene polymer layer. The third-order optical nonlinearity of the azobenzene polymer is enormously enhanced by using resonant excitation. Under excitation with a 17-kW/cm2, 532-nm pump light, plasmonic modes shift by 51 nm and the mode interval is enlarged by 30 nm. Compared with previous reports, the threshold pump intensity is reduced by five orders of magnitude, while extremely large tunability is maintained.
Giant magnetic refrigeration capacity near room temperature in Ni40Co10Mn40Sn10 multifunctional alloy
Authors: Huang L. , Cong D. Y. , Suo H. L. , Wang Y. D.
Published: April 2014

We report a giant effective magnetic refrigeration capacity in a Ni40Co10Mn40Sn10 multifunctional alloy. With a large magnetization difference between austenite and martensite, this alloy shows a strong magnetic field dependence of transformation temperatures. Complete magnetic-field-induced structural transformation and a considerable magnetic entropy change are observed in a broad operating temperature window of 33 K near room temperature. Consequently, an effective magnetic refrigeration capacity of 251 J/kg for 5 T is achieved, which is the largest value for Ni-Mn-based Heusler alloys and comparable to that of the high-performance Gd-Si-Ge and La-Fe-Si magnetocaloric materials. Incorporating the advantages of low cost and non-toxicity, this alloy shows very promising prospects for room-temperature magnetic refrigeration.
PAKs inhibitors ameliorate schizophrenia-associated dendritic spine deterioration in vitro and in vivo during late adolescence
Authors: Hayashi-Takagi Akiko , Araki Yoichi , Nakamura Mayumi , Vollrath Benedikt , Duron Sergio G. , Yan Zhen , Kasai Haruo , Huganir Richard L. , Campbell David A. , Sawa Akira
Published: April 2014

Significance

Drug discovery in psychiatry has been limited to chemical modifications of compounds originally discovered serendipitously. Therefore, more mechanism-oriented strategies of drug discovery for mental disorders are awaited. Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder with synaptic disconnectivity involved in its pathophysiology. In this study, we studied a biological pathway underlying synaptic disturbance and examined whether p21-activated kinase inhibitors ameliorate the pathology in vitro and in vivo. The beneficial effects of these inhibitors reported here may provide us with an opportunity for drug discovery in major mental illnesses with synaptic disturbance.
On the use ofuhandumin American English
Authors: Tottie Gunnel
Published: April 2014

This study examines the use ofuhandum— referred to jointly as UHM — in 14 conversations totaling c. 62,350 words from the Santa Barbara Corpus of Spoken American English. UHM was much less frequent than in British English with 7.5 vs. 14.5 instances per million words in the British National Corpus. However, as in British English the frequency of UHM was closely correlated to extra-linguistic context. Conversations in non-private environments (such as offices and classrooms) had higher frequencies than those taking place in private spaces, mostly homes. Time required for planning, especially when difficult subjects were discussed, appeared to be an important explanatory factor. It is clear that UHM cannot be dismissed as mere hesitation or disfluency; it functions as a pragmatic marker on a par withwell,you know, andI mean, sharing some of the functions of these in discourse. Although the role of sociolinguistic factors was less clear, the tendencies for older speakers and educated speakers to use UHM more frequently than younger and less educated ones paralleled British usage, but contrary to British usage, there were no gender differences.
Discourse patterns in the development of discourse markers in English
Authors: Lewis Diana M.
Published: April 2014

The role of discourse frequency in the development of two English connectives is explored, in the context of recent work emphasizing the role of syntagmatic relations in language change and suggesting that it is constructions, rather than lexical items, which grammaticalize. The development of sub-constructions within factandat leastare traced in a quantitative study based on corpora of formal and informal historical English. Each case involves an adverbial undergoing functional split as the clausal structure in which it is used becomes aligned with different discourse (sub-)constructions.In factbecomes both contrastive and elaborative;at leastbecomes evaluative and reformulative. It is shown how the adverbial expression in each case becomes compressed and more abstract, so that its informational weight is reduced, and how the English principle of end focus pushes it increasingly towards clause-initial position, resulting in alignment with the connective construction.
Testing the viability of webDMDX for masked priming experiments
Authors: Witzel Jeffrey , Cornelius Samantha , Witzel Naoko , Forster Kenneth I. , Forster Jonathan C.
Published: April 2014

The DMDX software package (Forster & Forster, 2003) is a Windows-based
application that displays stimuli and records responses. Recent developments in this program have made it possible to deploy DMDX experiments over the Internet. This study evaluates the viability of the web-deployable implementation of DMDX, or webDMDX, for masked priming experiments. A lexical decision task (LDT) with masked repetition priming on high- and low-frequency words and an e/a letter detection task were conducted with both lab-based DMDX (labDMDX; Experiment 1) and webDMDX. The webDMDX experiments were run on lab computers (Experiments 2) and on different (unknown) hardware (Experiment 3). The labDMDX and webDMDX experiments yielded comparable results on the LDT. In the e/a-detection task, the only important difference observed among the tests was between the lab-based experiment (Experiment 1) and the first webDMDX experiment (Experiment 2), at the 50 ms display duration. However, after a minor change in keyword coding (Experiment 2 follow-up) and an adjustment to the millisecond-to-retrace conversion process (Experiment 3), the detection rates at all display durations were similar in both labDMDX and webDMDX. Taken together, these results indicate the utility of webDMDX for masked priming experiments as well as for other time-sensitive methodologies.
Kosovo's Gordian knot: the contested north and the search for a solution
Authors: Clark Janine Natalya
Published: April 2014

Until 1999, Kosovo was a little-known province of Serbia. NATO's intervention, however, changed this. Suddenly, everyone was talking about Kosovo and the plight of the Kosovo Albanians. Today, Kosovo is no longer a major talking point; few authors are now writing about post-independence Kosovo and the many challenges that confront the young state. Particularly striking is the relative absence of scholarly writings that discuss the Gordian knot of northern Kosovo. Seeking to rectify this neglect, this article has three core aims: to provide new empirical insights into the situation on the ground in northern Kosovo, to explore Serb and Albanian viewpoints regarding the status of the north (and in particular to examine Serb fears and concerns) and to discuss possible solutions. It argues that granting the north a special, autonomous status within Kosovo is the ultimate way to resolve the “northern problem,” and indeed this now seems the most likely solution following the recent conclusion of the First Agreement on Principles Governing the Normalization of Relations. This research is based on five weeks of fieldwork in Kosovo in July and August 2012. During this time, the author conducted 56 semi-structured interviews, 29 of which took place in northern Kosovo.
Emerging powers, state capitalism and the oil sector in Africa
Authors: Taylor Ian
Published: April 2014

The global development landscape is rapidly changing with the acceleration of the economies of emerging countries and this has important implications for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Notably, these emerging partners share a broad comparative advantage in their outward engagement. They are able to access large pools of finance and capital reserves and they also uphold a version of the Developmental State Model that encourages a statist approach to business. This state capitalism is increasingly coming to the fore, particularly in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and the evident intellectual collapse of neoliberalism as a sustainable economic model.
Trends in Substance Abuse and Infectious Disease over 20 Years in a Large Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) Clinic in Israel
Authors: Peles Einat , Schreiber Shaul , Adelson Miriam
Published: April 2014

Background

The objective was to study substance abuse, infectious disease, and patient outcomes (retention and substance abuse abstinence) over 2 decades in a large methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) facility within a tertiary-referral medical center.

Methods

Prevalence of substance abuse was determined monthly between 1993 (35 patients) and 2013 (350 patients) based on observed random urine tests. On entry, patients were tested for hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies. One-year retention and substance abuse abstinence were calculated.

Results

At admission, mean age and rate of cocaine and benzodiazepines abuse increased over the years, with no change in the prevalence of hepatitis C (50%) and HIV (<10%). Retention rate increased ( P = .008) (range: 42.9%–92.4%; overall: 76.2%) and opiate abstinence also increased ( P = .006) (range: 49.1%–85.7%; overall: 68.1%), reflecting outcome improvement over the years.

Conclusions

Outcome improvement could be attributed to the staff's growing experience and improvements in treatment but also to changes in patient characteristics over the past 2 decades.
Strategies to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Update
Authors: Lo Evelyn , Nicolle Lindsay E. , Coffin Susan E. , Gould Carolyn , Maragakis Lisa L. , Meddings Jennifer , Pegues David A. , Pettis Ann Marie , Saint Sanjay , Yokoe Deborah S.
Published: April 2014

Previously published guidelines are available that provide comprehensive recommendations for detecting and preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The intent of this document is to highlight practical recommendations in a concise format designed to assist acute care hospitals in implementing and prioritizing their catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention efforts. This document updates “Strategies to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections in Acute Care Hospitals,” published in 2008. This expert guidance document is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and is the product of a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise. The list of endorsing and supporting organizations is presented in the introduction to the 2014 updates.
rTANDEM, an R/Bioconductor package for MS/MS protein identification
Authors: Fournier Frédéric , Joly Beauparlant Charles , Paradis René , Droit Arnaud
Published: April 2014

Summary: rTANDEM is an R/Bioconductor package that interfaces the X!Tandem protein identification algorithm. The package can run the multi-threaded algorithm on proteomic data files directly from R. It also provides functions to convert search parameters and results to/from R as well as functions to manipulate parameters and automate searches. An associated R package, shinyTANDEM, provides a web-based graphical interface to visualize and interpret the results. Together, those two packages form an entry point for a general MS/MS-based proteomic pipeline in R/Bioconductor.

Availability and implementation: rTANDEM and shinyTANDEM are distributed in R/Bioconductor, http://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/ . The packages are under open licenses (GPL-3 and Artistice-1.0).

Contact:  frederic.fournier@crchuq.ulaval.ca or arnaud.droit@crchuq.ulaval.ca

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Interannual variability in the transport of fish eggs in the Kattegat and Öresund
Authors: Pacariz Selma , Björk Göran , Svedäng Henrik
Published: April 2014

The dispersal and retention of early life stages are essential factors for the recruitment of fish stocks, and often depend on local meteorological and hydrographical conditions. A BAltic sea Long-Term large Scale Eutrophication Model (BALTSEM) was used to examine interannual variation in the retention and dispersal of fish eggs, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) at spawning areas in the Kattegat and Öresund and to investigate the mechanisms responsible for this variation. Model simulations over period 1971–2006 showed that years with high retention were related to variable weak winds and a strong outflow of water from the Baltic Sea, while years with low retention were related to strong westerly winds. Low egg retention was associated with enhanced southward transport from the Kattegat towards the Great Belt and from the Öresund towards the Baltic Sea. This southward transport of eggs was highly correlated with the local westerly wind component. The southbound egg transport and the westerly wind component both increased after 1989, and were connected with a change in the large-scale atmospheric circulation pattern, as represented by the NAO index. Results of this study provide information about the connectivity between neighboring areas and suggest that sedimentation is an important mortality factor.
Unilateral Spatial Neglect
Authors: Vallar Giuseppe , Bolognini Nadia
Published: April 2014

Left unilateral spatial neglect is the most frequent and disabling neuropsychological syndrome caused by lesions to the right hemisphere. Over 50% of right-brain-damaged patients show neglect, while right neglect after left-hemispheric damage is less frequent. Neglect patients are unable to orient towards the side contralateral to the lesion, to detect and report sensory events in that portion of space, as well as to explore it by motor action. Neglect is a multicomponent disorder, which may involve the contralesional side of the body or of extra-personal physical or imagined space, different sensory modalities, specific domains (e.g. ‘neglect dyslexia’), and worsen sensorimotor deficits. Neglect is due to higher-order unilateral deficits of spatial attention and representation, so that patients are not aware of contralesional events, which, however, undergo a substantial amount of unconscious processing up to the semantic level. Cross-modal sensory integration is also largely preserved. Neglect is primarily a spatially specific disorder of perceptual consciousness. The responsible lesions involve a network including the fronto-temporo-parietal cortex (particularly the posterior-inferior parietal lobe, at the temporo-parietal junction), their white matter connections, and some subcortical grey nuclei (thalamus, basal ganglia). Damage to primary sensory and motor regions is not associated to neglect. A variety of physiological lateralized and asymmetrical sensory stimulations (vestibular, optokinetic, prism adaptation, motor activation), and transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulations, may temporarily improve or worsen neglect. Different procedures have been successfully developed to rehabilitate neglect, using both ‘top down’ (training the voluntary orientation of attention) and ‘bottom up’ (the above-mentioned stimulations) approaches.
Dynamic Attention
Authors: Cavanagh Patrick , Battelli Lorella , Holcombe Alex
Published: April 2014

The authors review how attention helps track and process dynamic events, selecting and integrating information across time and space to produce a continuing identity for a moving, changing target. Rather than a fixed ‘spotlight’ that helps identify a static target, attention needs a mobile window or ‘pointer’ to track a moving target, picking up pieces of evidence along the way to determine not just what the target is, but what it is doing. Behavioural studies show that this dynamic version of attention is model-based, using familiar trajectories to help identify a target and to guide encoding of continuing input from its path. Attention has very coarse temporal resolution for both static and moving targets. However, when the focus of selection is on the move, a given location on a moving target’s path can be selected for extremely brief instants, as little as 50 ms, compared to the typical ‘dwell time’ or minimum duration of attention selection at a fixed location, of 200 ms or more. To determine the path of a moving object, attention must accurately process and sort the onsets and offsets in order to match an offset to the subsequent onset. This aspect of dynamic attention has been called the ‘when’ pathway and patient studies show that it is a qualitatively different system from spatial attention, being completely based in the right parietal lobe for events in both hemifields. Finally, like the salience map of spatial attention, temporal attention may have its own map that guides allocation to upcoming, current, and recent moments to select information at the appropriate time, changing the experience of time as it does so.
Developing Attention and Self-Regulation in Childhood
Authors: Posner Michael I. , Rothbart Mary K. , Rueda M. Rosario
Published: April 2014

This chapter views attention as an organ system consisting of three brain networks with their own unique anatomy, connectivity, neuromodulators, and functions. These networks underlie the functions of attention including: obtaining and maintaining the alert state, orienting to sensory events, and voluntary control of responses. It traces the development of these attentional networks from infancy to adulthood. All three networks are present in infancy, but their functions and connectivity change in development. The change of control from the orienting to the executive network that takes place between infancy and childhood underlies the increasing role of voluntary control of emotions and thoughts. It examines how genes and environment influence this development and suggests avenues for further understanding of how attention develops.
The Neuropsycho–Pharmacology of Attention
Authors: Robbins Trevor
Published: April 2014

Pharmacological influences on cognition and behaviour are often accompanied by effects on different aspects of attention. The actions of many psychoactive drugs (often used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders) depend on effects exerted on the classical chemical modulatory neurotransmitter systems including acetylcholine, and the monoamines, dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin (or 5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT). These chemical systems originate in the reticular core of the brain and modulate attention by actions on forebrain structures including the thalamus, striatum, and the neocortex (especially the prefrontal cortex). Current research is attempting to dissect separable functions of these chemical neurotransmitters in mediating attention in relation to states of arousal and stress in comparable test paradigms in experimental animals and humans. New directions in research in this area are also identified, including the functions of the novel neurotransmitter orexin, and the role of GABA and glutamate in gamma oscillations and the network properties of the neocortex.
Memory and Attention
Authors: Kuhl Brice A. , Chun Marvin
Published: April 2014

A primary theme in attention research is that there is too much information in our environment for everything to be processed and, as a consequence, information processing is selective. This chapter reviews various properties of memory from the perspective of selective attention. It argues that the ways in which we form, retrieve, and work with our memories largely represent acts of attention. One obvious advantage of framing mnemonic processes as attentional phenomena is that it underscores the processing limits that are central to memory and the necessity of selection. Another advantage is that this framework can aid our understanding of the neural mechanisms that guide memory and their relation to neural mechanisms of perceptual attention.
Guides to the Study of Attention
Authors: Posner Michael I.
Published: April 2014

A ‘giant’ in the field of attention, Posner provides a short introduction to the Handbook volume and briefly reviews its organization and general content. A historical perspective as well as an outlook on future developments are given.
First Report of Branch Rot of Lonicera japonica Caused by Sclerotium delphinii in China
Authors: Zhang M. , Wang X. J. , Li Y. , Geng Y. H. , Wu H. Y.
Published: April 2014

Honeysuckle flower (Lonicera japonica Thunb.) is a perennial, traditional Chinese medicine plant, widely cultivated in China. In early June 2013, heavy branch rot infection was observed on L. japonica in an approximately 10,000-m2 field in Linyi, Shandong, China. The disease incidence was 30 to 40%. Early symptoms appeared as small, elliptoid, pale brown lesions on the branches. Lesions expanded into 50 to 100 mm long and 3 to 7 mm wide, brown, elongated spots. The upper branches wilted after the lesions expanded around the stems. A fungus was consistently isolated from stem lesions on potato dextrose agar (PDA) that was morphologically similar to S. delphinii, with white mycelium, round to irregularly shaped reddish-brown sclerotia that were 2 to 4 mm diameter (2). The identity of the fungus was confirmed by DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (GenBank Accession No. KJ145328), which was 99% homologous to those of other S. delphinii isolates (JN241578 and AB075314) (1). Pathogenicity tests were conducted with three 2-year-old seedlings grown in 20-cm-diameter pots at 25 to 30°C during experiments in greenhouse. Ten branches from the three plants pricked by needle were inoculated with a mycelial plug (0.4 cm diameter) harvested from the periphery of a 4-day-old colony. An equal number of branches pricked by needle serving as controls were mock-inoculated with plugs of PDA medium. Inoculated branches were covered with plastic bags for 24 h to maintain high relative humidity and incubated at about 25°C. Plugs were removed 48 h after inoculation. After 3 days, nine inoculated branches showed symptoms identical to those observed in the field under natural conditions, whereas controls remained symptom-free. Re-isolation of the fungus from lesions on inoculated branches confirmed that the causal agent was S. delphinii. Pathogenicity tests were repeated three times by the same methods with the same results. To our knowledge, this is the first report of S. delphinii infecting Lonicera japonica in China.

References: (1) I. Okabe and N. Matsumoto. Mycol. Res. 107:164, 2003. (2) Z. K. Punja and A. Damiani. Mycologia. 88:694, 1996.
Evolution of an Experimental Population of Phytophthora capsici in the Field
Authors: Dunn Amara R. , Bruening Stephen R. , Grünwald Niklaus J. , Smart Christine D.
Published: April 2014

Populations of the vegetable pathogen Phytophthora capsici are often highly diverse, with limited gene flow between fields. To investigate the structure of a newly established, experimental population, an uninfested research field was inoculated with two single-zoospore isolates of P. capsici in September 2008. From 2009 through 2012, ≈50 isolates of P. capsici were collected from the field each year and genotyped using five microsatellite loci. The same two isolates were also crossed in the lab. High levels of diversity were detected in the research field, with 26 to 37 unique multilocus genotypes detected each year. Through 2012, genotypic diversity did not decline and no evidence of genetic drift was observed. However, during the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons, four new alleles not present in either parental isolate were observed in the field. Selfing (but not apomixis) was observed at low frequency among in vitro progeny. In addition, evidence for loss of heterozygosity was observed in half of the in vitro progeny. These results suggest that recombination, mutation, and loss of heterozygosity can affect the genetic structure observed in P. capsici populations.
Long‐Term Outcome of Children Receiving Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Feeding
Authors: Lalanne Arnaud , Gottrand Frédéric , Salleron Julia , Puybasset‐Jonquez Anne Laure , Guimber Dominique , Turck Dominique , Michaud Laurent
Published: April 2014

Objectives:

The aim of the present study was to analyze the long‐term follow‐up of children receiving percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in terms of survival, nutritional outcome, and weaning from enteral nutrition. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the complications related to PEG and the outcome of patients with neurological disability.

Methods:

The present study was a single‐center retrospective study including all of the 368 patients who underwent PEG from 1990 to 2003 in our tertiary hospital.

Results:

A total of 368 patients received PEG during the study period. After a median follow‐up of 2.4 years (interquartile range 1.4–4.2 years), PEG was in place in 36% and was removed in 27%; 26% of patients were deceased. Two deaths could be directly related to PEG. A statistically significant weight and height catch‐up was observed in patients with PEG in place in whom weight/age z score increased from −2.6 to −1.7 (P < 0.01) and height/age z score also increased from −2.1 to −1.6 (P < 0.01). In patients who had their PEG removed weight/age z score increased from −2.5 to −1.6 (P < 0.01) and height/age z score from −2.8 to −1.4 (P = 0.01) at the time of weaning. Early complications occurred in 152 patients, whereas late complications occurred in 191 patients. Most complications were minor (85%). After multivariate analyses, the factors associated with late complications were digestive and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) diseases, age <1 year at the time of PEG placement, and use of PEG longer than 2 years. Early complications were less frequent in patients with respiratory diseases.

Conclusions:

PEG allows nutritional and growth catch‐up and is safe in the long term.
Recommended minimal standards for description of new taxa of the genera Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and related genera
Authors: Mattarelli Paola , Holzapfel Wilhelm , Franz Charles M. A. P. , Endo Akihito , Felis Giovanna E. , Hammes Walter , Pot Bruno , Dicks Leon , Dellaglio Franco
Published: April 2014

Minimal standards for the description of new cultivable strains that represent novel genera and species belonging to the generaBifidobacterium,Lactobacillusand related genera are proposed in accordance with Recommendation 30b of theBacteriological Code(1990 Revision): the description of novel species should be based on phenotypic, genotypic and ecological characteristics to ensure a rich polyphasic characterization. Concerning genotypic characterization, in addition to DNA G+C content (mol%) data, the description should be based on DNA–DNA hybridization (DDH), 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities and at least two housekeeping gene (e.g.hsp60andrecA) sequence similarities. DDH might not be needed if the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the closest known species is lower than 97 %. This proposal has been endorsed by members of the Subcommittee on the Taxonomy ofBifidobacterium,Lactobacillusand related organisms of the International Committee on the Systematics of Prokaryotes.
Unravelling the diversity Behind the Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis Complex: Three new species of zombie-ant fungi from the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Araújo João P. M. , Evans Harry C. , Geiser David M. , Mackay William P. , Hughes David P.
Published: April 2014

In tropical forests, one of the most common relationships between parasites and insects is that between the fungus Ophiocordyceps (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales, Ascomycota) and ants, especially within the tribe Camponotini. Here, we describe three new and host-specific species of the genus Ophiocordyceps on Camponotus ants from the central Amazonian region of Brazil, which can readily be separated using morphological traits, in particular, ascospore form and function. In addition, we use sequence data to infer phylogenetic relationships between these taxa and closely related species within the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis complex, as well as with other members of the family Ophiocordycipitaceae.
ATR checkpoint kinase and CRL1βTRCP collaborate to degrade ASF1a and thus repress genes overlapping with clusters of stalled replication forks
Authors: Im Jun-Sub , Keaton Mignon , Lee Kyung Yong , Kumar Pankaj , Park Jonghoon , Dutta Anindya
Published: April 2014

Many agents used for chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin, interfere with DNA replication, but the effect of this interference on transcription is largely unknown. Here we show that doxorubicin induces the firing of dense clusters of neoreplication origins that lead to clusters of stalled replication forks in gene-rich parts of the genome, particularly on expressed genes. Genes that overlap with these clusters of stalled forks are actively dechromatinized, unwound, and repressed by an ATR-dependent checkpoint pathway. The ATR checkpoint pathway causes a histone chaperone normally associated with the replication fork, ASF1a, to degrade through a CRL1βTRCP-dependent ubiquitination/proteasome pathway, leading to the localized dechromatinization and gene repression. Therefore, a globally active checkpoint pathway interacts with local clusters of stalled forks to specifically repress genes in the vicinity of the stalled forks, providing a new mechanism of action of chemotherapy drugs like doxorubicin. Finally, ASF1a-depleted cancer cells are more sensitive to doxorubicin, suggesting that the 7%–10% of prostate adenocarcinomas and adenoid cystic carcinomas reported to have homozygous deletion or significant underexpression of ASF1a should be tested for high sensitivity to doxorubicin.