bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
It's the little things that count: Meiofaunal density and production in the sediment of two headwater streams
Authors: Majdi Nabil , Threis Ilka , Traunspurger Walter
Published: August 2016

The distribution of biomass production and its allocation across populations under environmental constraints draw a picture of community dynamics and energy flows in ecosystems. However, microscopic benthic invertebrates (meiofauna) are often overlooked in stream production budgets. We monitored the meiofauna dwelling in the sediment at two headwater stream sites (Ems and Furlbach, NW Germany) during 1 year. The two streams were similar in their granulometries and temperature regimes, but they differed in their flow velocities and nutrient balances, which allowed investigations of the effects of these factors on the density and production of different taxonomic groups of meiofauna. Meiofaunal production in the top 10‐cm sediment at Ems and Furlbach was 2.58 and 5.46 gC m−2 yr−1, respectively; these values are among the highest reported so far for a streambed. Allocation of density and production across taxonomic groups differed between the two streams. Tardigrades, rotifers, oligochaetes, and gastrotrichs thrived in the phosphate‐rich, slow‐flowing waters of the Ems, whereas nematodes, micro‐turbellarians, and harpacticoid copepods were better adapted to the nitrate‐rich, fast‐flowing waters of the Furlbach. Body‐size distribution varied across site and depth and was mostly multi‐modal, with important contributions of minute individuals weighing between 0.01 and 0.1 μgC. Our study shows that, despite their small size, meiofauna can produce substantial amounts of biomass and should thus be better considered in budgets and models of stream ecosystems.
Sexual dysfunction in women with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Varanda Sara , Ribeiro da Silva Joana , Costa Ana Sofia , Amorim de Carvalho Cristiana , Alves José Nuno , Rodrigues Margarida , Carneiro Gisela
Published: August 2016

Background

Sexual dysfunction in women with Parkinson's disease is poorly understood and research in this area is scarce. The objectives of this study were sexual function characterization in female Parkinson's disease patients, description of sexual dysfunctions, correlation with disease characteristics, and comparison with matched healthy controls.

Methods

Social and demographic data from consecutive female patients with Parkinson's disease and matched healthy controls were collected. The following instruments were used: UPDRS, the Hoehn and Yahr scale, the Beck Depression Inventory‐II, the Female Sexual Function Index, and the Sexual Dysfunction Inventory. The only exclusion criterion was cognitive deterioration precluding comprehension of the study scope and its instruments.

Results

Of the 95 patients identified, 61 were included. Mean age was 66 years (range 40—89 years), and mean disease duration was seven years (range 1‐18 years). Twenty‐nine presented an akinetic‐rigid syndrome, 25 tremoric disease, and, the remaining, a mixed type of disease. Mean “on” total/part III UPDRS scores were 46 ± 15.0 and 31 ± 8.9. Sexual dysfunction was present in 86.9% of patients and 79.0% of controls, according to the Female Sexual Function Index (p < .01), and in 57.4% of patients and 22.6% of controls, according to the Sexual Dysfunction Inventory (p < .001). Multivariate binary logistic regression identified age and depressive symptoms as positive predictors in the severity of sexual dysfunction. Disease duration, UPDRS part III score, Hoehn and Yahr stage, and antiparkinsonian medication did not show significant predictive value.

Conclusions

Sexual dysfunction is more prevalent in women with Parkinson's disease than in controls and is predicted by older age and severity of depressive symptoms. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Perspectives on hyperpolarised solution‐state magnetic resonance in chemistry
Authors: Dumez Jean‐Nicolas
Published: August 2016

This perspective article reviews some of the recent developments in the field of hyperpolarisation, with a focus on solution‐state NMR spectroscopy of small molecules. Two techniques are considered in more detail, dissolution dynamic nuclear polarisation (D‐DNP) and signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE). Some of the opportunities and challenges for applications of hyperpolarised solution‐state magnetic resonance in chemistry are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design and implementation of embedded 8‐channel receive‐only arrays for whole‐brain MRI and fMRI of conscious awake marmosets
Authors: Papoti Daniel , Yen Cecil Chern‐Chyi , Hung Chia‐Chun , Ciuchta Jennifer , Leopold David A. , Silva Afonso C.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a New World primate of increasing interest to neuroscience and in translational brain research. The present work describes the design and implementation of individualized 8‐channel receive‐only radiofrequency (RF) coil arrays that provide whole‐brain coverage and allow anatomical and functional MRI experiments in conscious, awake marmosets.

Methods

The coil arrays were designed with their elements embedded inside individualized restraint helmets. The size, geometry, and arrangement of the coil elements were optimized to allow whole‐brain coverage. Coil‐to‐coil decoupling was achieved by a combination of geometric decoupling and low input impedance preamplifiers. The performance of the embedded arrays was compared against that of one 8‐channel receive‐only array built to fit the external surface of the helmets.

Results

Three individualized helmets with embedded coil arrays were built for three marmosets. Whole‐brain coverage was achieved with high sensitivity extending over the entire cortex. Visual stimulation of conscious awake marmosets elicited robust BOLD fMRI responses in both primary and higher order visual areas of the occipitotemporal cortex.

Conclusion

The high sensitivity provided by embedded receive‐only coil arrays allows both anatomical and functional MRI data to be obtained with high spatial resolution in conscious, awake marmosets. Magn Reson Med 78:387–398, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
In vivo imaging of cancer cell size and cellularity using temporal diffusion spectroscopy
Authors: Jiang Xiaoyu , Li Hua , Xie Jingping , McKinley Eliot T. , Zhao Ping , Gore John C. , Xu Junzhong
Published: August 2016

Purpose

A temporal diffusion MRI spectroscopy based approach has been developed to quantify cancer cell size and density in vivo.

Methods

A novel imaging microstructural parameters using limited spectrally edited diffusion (IMPULSED) method selects a specific limited diffusion spectral window for an accurate quantification of cell sizes ranging from 10 to 20 μm in common solid tumors. In practice, it is achieved by a combination of a single long diffusion time pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) and three low‐frequency oscillating gradient spin echo (OGSE) acquisitions. To validate our approach, hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunostaining of cell membranes, in concert with whole slide imaging, were used to visualize nuclei and cell boundaries, and hence, enabled accurate estimates of cell size and cellularity.

Results

Based on a two compartment model (incorporating intra‐ and extracellular spaces), accurate estimates of cell sizes were obtained in vivo for three types of human colon cancers. The IMPULSED‐derived apparent cellularities showed a stronger correlation (r = 0.81; P < 0.0001) with histology‐derived cellularities than conventional ADCs (r = −0.69; P < 0.03).

Conclusion

The IMPULSED approach samples a specific region of temporal diffusion spectra with enhanced sensitivity to length scales of 10–20 μm, and enables measurements of cell sizes and cellularities in solid tumors in vivo. Magn Reson Med 78:156–164, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Imaging and quantification of iron‐oxide nanoparticles (IONP) using MP‐RAGE and UTE based sequences
Authors: Hong Wen , He Qun , Fan Shujuan , Carl Michael , Shao Hongda , Chen Jun , Chang Eric Y , Du Jiang
Published: August 2016

Purpose

To investigate two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) ultrashort echo time (UTE) and 3D magnetization‐prepared rapid gradient‐echo (MP‐RAGE) sequences for the imaging of iron‐oxide nanoparticles (IONP).

Methods

The phantoms were composed of tubes filled with different IONP concentrations ranging from 2 to 45 mM. The tubes were fixed in an agarose gel phantom (0.9% by weight). Morphological imaging was performed with 3D MP‐RAGE, 2D UTE, 2D adiabatic inversion recovery–prepared UTE (2D IR‐UTE), 3D UTE with Cones trajectory (3D Cones), and 3D IR‐Cones sequences. Quantitative assessment of IONP concentration was performed using
and R1 (1/T1) measurements using a 3 Tesla (T) scanner.

Results

The 3D MP‐RAGE sequence provides high‐contrast images of IONP with concentration up to 7.5 mM. Higher IONP concentration up to 37.5 mM can be detected with the UTE sequences, with the highest IONP contrast provided by the 3D IR‐Cones sequence. A linear relationship was observed between
and IONP concentration up to ∼45 mM, and between R1 and IONP concentration up to ∼30 mM.

Conclusion

The clinical 3D MP‐RAGE sequence can be used to assess lower IONP concentration up to 7.5 mM. The UTE sequences can be used to assess higher IONP concentration up to 45 mM. Magn Reson Med 78:226–232, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Hypoplastic interface models for fine‐grained soils
Authors: Stutz Henning ,  Mašín David
Published: August 2016

Contact descriptions for interfaces between structural elements (e.g. piles, anchors and tunnel‐linings) and soils are widely used in geotechnical engineering. Most of these constitutive interface models, developed for sands, consider 2D conditions. For clays, only a limited number of 3D interface models exist. In this paper, the fine‐grained continuum models based on hypoplastic theories are adapted for the constitutive modelling of fine‐grained interfaces. To this end, we develop a general approach to convert the existing continuum soil models into an interface model adopting reduced stress and strain‐rate vectors and redefining tensorial operations in such a way that the formulation of the existing continuum models can be used without much modification. The hypoplastic Cam‐clay and the explicitly formulated hypoplastic models are adapted to model the interface behaviour. In addition to the reduced stress and strain tensor formulations, we introduce an additional variable reducing the strength and stiffness of the interfaces when compared with the strength and stiffness of the soil. For verification, experiments in constant volume and constant normal stress conditions have been simulated. A comparison of the available experimental data from the literature and the simulations is presented. It is shown that the new hypoplastic interface models can describe a number of important phenomena of clay–structure interfaces. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fast volumetric imaging of bound and pore water in cortical bone using three‐dimensional ultrashort‐TE (UTE) and inversion recovery UTE sequences
Authors: Chen Jun , Carl Michael , Ma Yajun , Shao Hongda , Lu Xing , Chen Bimin , Chang Eric Y. , Wu Zhihong , Du Jiang
Published: August 2016

We report the three‐dimensional ultrashort‐TE (3D UTE) and adiabatic inversion recovery UTE (IR‐UTE) sequences employing a radial trajectory with conical view ordering for bi‐component T2* analysis of bound water (T2*BW) and pore water (T2*PW) in cortical bone. An interleaved dual‐echo 3D UTE acquisition scheme was developed for fast bi‐component analysis of bound and pore water in cortical bone. A 3D IR‐UTE acquisition scheme employing multiple spokes per IR was developed for bound water imaging. Two‐dimensional UTE (2D UTE) and IR‐UTE sequences were employed for comparison. The sequences were applied to bovine bone samples (n = 6) and volunteers (n = 6) using a 3‐T scanner. Bi‐component fitting of 3D UTE images of bovine samples showed a mean T2*BW of 0.26 ± 0.04 ms and T2*PW of 4.16 ± 0.35 ms, with fractions of 21.5 ± 3.6% and 78.5 ± 3.6%, respectively. The 3D IR‐UTE signal showed a single‐component decay with a mean T2*BW of 0.29 ± 0.05 ms, suggesting selective imaging of bound water. Similar results were achieved with the 2D UTE and IR‐UTE sequences. Bi‐component fitting of 3D UTE images of the tibial midshafts of healthy volunteers showed a mean T2*BW of 0.32 ± 0.08 ms and T2*PW of 5.78 ± 1.24 ms, with fractions of 34.2 ± 7.4% and 65.8 ± 7.4%, respectively. Single‐component fitting of 3D IR‐UTE images showed a mean T2*BW of 0.35 ± 0.09 ms. The 3D UTE and 3D IR‐UTE techniques allow fast volumetric mapping of bound and pore water in cortical bone. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of the response of taurine protons to PRESS at 9.4 T for Resolving choline and Determining taurine T2
Authors: Fisher Marissa E. , Dobberthien Brennen J. , Tessier Anthony G. , Yahya Atiyah
Published: August 2016

Point‐resolved spectroscopy (PRESS), characterized by two TEs (TE1 and TE2), can be employed to perform animal magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies at 9.4 T. Taurine (Tau) and choline (Cho) are relevant metabolites that can be measured by MRS. In this work, the response of the J‐coupled protons of Tau as a function of PRESS TE1 and TE2 was characterized at 9.4 T to achieve two objectives. The first was to determine two TE1 and TE2 combinations that could be used to obtain T2‐corrected measures of Tau (3.42 ppm) that were minimally influenced by J coupling. The second was to exploit the Tau J coupling to find a timing combination that minimized the 3.25‐ppm Tau signal to enable the Cho (3.22 ppm) resonance to be resolved from the overlapping Tau signal. The response of Tau protons was investigated both numerically and experimentally. It was numerically determined that the timings {TE1, TE2} = {17 ms, 10 ms} and {TE1, TE2} = {80 ms, 70 ms} yielded similar 3.42‐ppm Tau resonance areas (5% difference), rendering them suitable for Tau T2 determination. {TE1, TE2} = {25 ms, 50 ms} was found to yield minimal 3.25‐ppm Tau signal, reducing its interference with Cho. The efficacy of the timings was demonstrated on phantom solutions and in vivo in four Sprague Dawley rats. LCModel was employed to analyse the in vivo spectra and Tau T2 values were estimated by fitting the Tau peak areas obtained with {TE1, TE2} = {17 ms, 10 ms} and {TE1, TE2} = {80 ms, 70 ms} to a monoexponentially decaying function. An average Tau T2 of 106 ms (standard deviation, 12 ms) was obtained. LCModel analysis of rat spectra obtained with {TE1, TE2} = {25 ms, 50 ms} demonstrated negligible levels of Tau signal, compared with that obtained with short TE.
A Stochastic Simplex Approximate Gradient (StoSAG) for optimization under uncertainty
Authors: Fonseca Rahul Rahul‐Mark , Chen Bailian , Jansen Jan Dirk , Reynolds Albert
Published: August 2016

We consider a technique to estimate an approximate gradient using an ensemble of randomly chosen control vectors, known as Ensemble Optimization (EnOpt) in the oil and gas reservoir simulation community. In particular, we address how to obtain accurate approximate gradients when the underlying numerical models contain uncertain parameters because of geological uncertainties. In that case, ‘robust optimization’ is performed by optimizing the expected value of the objective function over an ensemble of geological models. In earlier publications, based on the pioneering work of Chenet al. (2009), it has been suggested that a straightforward one‐to‐one combination of random control vectors and random geological models is capable of generating sufficiently accurate approximate gradients. However, this form of EnOpt does not always yield satisfactory results. In a recent article, Fonsecaet al. (2015) formulate a modified EnOpt algorithm, referred to here as a Stochastic Simplex Approximate Gradient (StoSAG; in earlier publications referred to as ‘modified robust EnOpt’) and show, via computational experiments, that StoSAG generally yields significantly better gradient approximations than the standard EnOpt algorithm. Here, we provide theoretical arguments to show why StoSAG is superior to EnOpt. © 2016 The Authors.International Journal for Numerical Methods in EngineeringPublished by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Lagrangian cell‐centred finite volume method for metal forming simulation
Authors: Cardiff P. , Tuković Ž. , Jaeger P. De , Clancy M. , Ivanković A.
Published: August 2016

The current article presents a Lagrangian cell‐centred finite volume solution methodology for simulation of metal forming processes. Details are given of the mathematical model in updated Lagrangian form, where a hyperelastoplastic J2 constitutive relation has been employed. The cell‐centred finite volume discretisation is described, where a modified discretised is proposed to alleviate erroneous hydrostatic pressure oscillations; an outline of the memory efficient segregated solution procedure is given. The accuracy and order of accuracy of the method are examined on a number of 2‐D and 3‐D elastoplastic benchmark test cases, where good agreement with available analytical and finite element solutions is achieved. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An efficient sparse matrix‐vector multiplication on CUDA‐enabled graphic processing units for finite element method simulations
Authors: Altinkaynak Atakan
Published: August 2016

Finite element method (FEM) is a well‐developed method to solve real‐world problems that can be modeled with differential equations. As the available computational power increases, complex and large‐size problems can be solved using FEM, which typically involves multiple degrees of freedom (DOF) per node, high order of elements, and an iterative solver requiring several sparse matrix‐vector multiplication operations. In this work, a new storage scheme is proposed for sparse matrices arising from FEM simulations with multiple DOF per node. A sparse matrix‐vector multiplication kernel and its variants using the proposed scheme are also given for CUDA‐enabled GPUs. The proposed scheme and the kernels rely on the mesh connectivity data from FEM discretization and the number of DOF per node. The proposed kernel performance was evaluated on seven test matrices for double‐precision floating point operations. The performance analysis showed that the proposed GPU kernel outperforms the ELLPACK (ELL) and CUSPARSE Hybrid (HYB) format GPU kernels by an average of 42% and 32%, respectively, on a Tesla K20c card. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Identification and Modification of Greater Adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) Bones in the Holocene Archaeological Record of Northern Vietnam
Authors: Jones R. K. , Meijer H. J. M. , Piper P. J. , Hiep T. H. , Tuan N. A. , Oxenham M. F.
Published: August 2016

We report on the first prehistoric identifications of the Greater Adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) in the prehistoric archaeological record of Vietnam, the earliest known example of this species in Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA). The two bone fragments, a proximal tarsometatarsus and a distal tibiotarsus, were found in the hunter–gatherer midden/cemetery site of Con Co Ngua in Thanh Hoa Province, and date toc.6000 – 5500 BP. The tarsometatarsus has been modified into an edge ground implement similar to artefacts recorded at other archaeological sites in the region. Modifications to the functional end suggest that the implement is consistent with the manipulation and/or manufacture of plant‐based fibres. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Child Health in Five Early Medieval Irish Sites: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Authors: Novak M. , Howcroft R. , Pinhasi R.
Published: August 2016

With the aim to reconstruct child health in five early medieval (5th–12th c. CE) Irish sites, an osteoarchaeological study of three biological stress indicators – cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) and periostitis – has been conducted on 229 skeletons. In addition, Irish early medieval written sources testifying on child health during this period were consulted. These data were furthermore combined with the results of stable isotope analyses (nitrogen and carbon) conducted on subadult bone specimens. Cribra orbitalia was found in 27.5% of the studied individuals (48.6% of subadults were affected), with only two cases active at the time of death. The prevalence of LEH per individual is 63.5% (78.9% in subadults and 59.7% in adults). The age ranges of LEH formation vary between 1.9 and 4.8 years for the maxillary teeth and between 1.8 and 6.2 years for the mandibular teeth. Periosteal inflammations were recorded in over one third of the studied subadults (36.2%) with six cases active at the time of death. The stable isotope results suggest a diet based on terrestrial food sources, with little or no marine input. The presented data strongly suggest that most of the individuals were exposed to a high level of physiological stress during their childhood, and as such does not support the so called ‘osteological paradox’ hypothesis. The observed disturbances were probably caused by a synergistic effect of various biological and socio‐cultural factors. Although the historical records indicate certain differences in diet and lifestyle between social classes and the sexes, this study showed that the children of all ages had poor health in all social classes across a wide geographical location for the full time period of the early medieval. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ancient DNA Clarifies Osteological Analyses of Commingled Remains from Midnight Terror Cave, Belize
Authors: Verdugo C. , Kassadjikova K. , Washburn E. , Harkins K. M. , Fehren‐Schmitz L.
Published: August 2016

In the past two decades, paleogenetics has made a significant impact on the field of archaeology. Interestingly, paleogenetic methods have not been extensively employed in osteoarchaeology despite its ability to address issues that cannot be resolved through traditional osteological analysis alone. This paper tackles a problem concerning the relationship between human remains in a commingled deposit from Midnight Terror Cave, Belize. Paleogenetics demonstrates that the bones in question belonged to multiple individuals, thus resolving an issue that was at the heart of the interpretation of social processes at the site. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Animal Bones from the Late Neolithic Site of Ponte da Azambuja 2 (Évora, Portugal)
Authors: Nabais M. , Rodrigues F.
Published: August 2016

Neolithic faunal assemblages are scarce in Portugal, and although some trends related to the beginning of domestication are now becoming understood, more data and further zooarchaeological analyses are necessary to fully understand them. Ponte da Azambuja 2 is a set of three Late Neolithic ditch enclosures located in the Alentejo region, Southern Portugal. It was discovered in 2008 by the archaeological unit Crivarque during the construction of a new irrigation system. Ditch enclosure 1 was excavated in two trenches, Locus 1 and Locus 2. A small faunal assemblage was recovered, showing high fragmentation mainly due to post‐depositional processes, which made the interpretation rather problematic. Although animal herding strategies are difficult to assess, it was possible to confirm the domesticate status of some of the taxa. Domestication appears to have been complemented by hunting – both red deer and leporids being present. The identification of burning, cut marks and worked bone confirms an anthropogenic faunal accumulation. Worked bone fragments suggest needle production and the production of potential ornaments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of temperature on viscoelastic–viscoplastic behavior of poly(lactic acid) under loading–unloading
Authors: Dusunceli Necmi , Drozdov Aleksey D. , Theilgaard Naseem
Published: August 2016

Experimental data are reported on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) in tensile loading–unloading tests and relaxation tests under stretching and retraction at temperatures ranging from room temperature up to 50°C. Two characteristic features of the time‐dependent response of PLA are revealed: (i) with a decrease in minimum stress under retraction at a fixed temperature, relaxation curves change their shape from monotonically decaying with time (simple relaxation), to non‐monotonic (mixed relaxation) to monotonically increasing (inverse relaxation) and (ii) with an increase in temperature, inverse relaxation after unloading down to the zero stress evolves into mixed relaxation with a pronounced shift of the peak position to smaller relaxation times. Constitutive equations are derived for the mechanical behavior of PLA, and adjustable parameters in the stress–strain relations are found by fitting the observations. Ability of the model to predict the time‐dependent response under cyclic deformation is confirmed by numerical simulation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:239–247, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Biobased composites from crosslinked soybean oil and thermoplastic polyurethane
Authors: Jong L. , Liu Z.
Published: August 2016

Soybean oil is an important sustainable material. Crosslinked acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) is brittle and the incorporation of thermoplastic polyurethane improves its toughness. The hydrophilic functional groups from both oil and polyurethane contribute to the adhesion of the blend components through the formation of hydrogen bonds. The incorporation of polyurethane into the blend increases the elongation of the blends. The best tensile strength of 20 MPa with an elongation of 120% was obtained from the hydrogen bonded composites for molded plastic objects in potential damping and surface applications. The temperature dependent storage moduli in the elevated temperature region showed a transition from thermoplastic to thermoset as the amount of AESO increased in the blends. The dynamic shear modulus increased substantially as the AESO content in the blend increased. The temperature dependent loss tangent reflects the variation of the blend components in the glass transition region. AESO has higher activation energy for thermal degradation than polyurethane. Thermal stability of the blends was improved with the incorporation of AESO. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:275–282, 2017. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Crossing the Digital Desert in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Does Policy Matter?
Authors: Wentrup Robert , Xu Xiangxuan , Nakamura H. Richard , Ström Patrik
Published: August 2016

The last decade has seen a rapid growth of Internet access across Africa, although it has not been evenly distributed. It is therefore important for policymakers to ask how policy can bridge this inequality of Internet access. This article addresses the dearth of research assessing the interplay between policy and Internet penetration by identifying Internet penetration‐related policy variables and institutional constructs in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Based on a literature review and data availability, four variables are suggested: (i) free flow of information; (ii) market concentration; (iii) the activity level of the Universal Service Fund (USF); and (iv) total tax on computer equipment. The results show that only the activity level of the USF and low total tax on computer equipment are significantly positively related to Internet penetration in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Free flow of information and market concentration do not show any impact on Internet penetration. The latter could be attributed to underdeveloped competition in most Sub‐Saharan countries. We recommend that policymakers promote the policy instrument of Universal Service and USF and consider substituting tax on computer equipment with other tax revenues, and not to blindly trust the market's invisible hand to fix inequality in Internet diffusion.
Linear mass scans in quadrupole ion traps using the inverse Mathieu q scan
Authors: Snyder Dalton T. , Pulliam Christopher J. , Cooks R. Graham
Published: August 2016

Rationale

Secular frequency scanning is a method of mass selectively scanning ions out of a quadrupole ion trap by linearly ramping the frequency of the resonance ejection signal through ion secular frequencies at constant rf amplitude and frequency. The method is electronically much simpler than resonance ejection but it requires a complex nonlinear calibration procedure to correlate mass‐to‐charge with time.

Methods

A method of secular frequency scanning in quadrupole ion traps is described in which mass‐to‐charge is linear with time. This method, termed an “inverse Mathieu q scan”, contrasts with linear frequency sweeping which requires a complex nonlinear mass calibration procedure. In the current method, mass scans are forced to be linear with time by scanning the frequency of the supplementary ac so that there is an inverse relationship between the ejected ion's Mathieu q parameter and time.

Results

In all cases, excellent mass spectral linearity is observed. The rf amplitude is shown to control both the scan range and the scan rate, whereas the ac amplitude and scan rate influence the mass resolution. The scan rate depends linearly on the rf amplitude, a unique feature of this scan. Although changes in either rf or ac amplitude affect the positions of peaks in time, they do not change the mass calibration procedure since this only requires a simple linear fit of m/z vs time. Space charge effects are shown to give rise to significant changes in resolution as well as to mass shifts.

Conclusions

A method of secular frequency scanning which provides a linear mass scale has been demonstrated. The inverse Mathieu q scan offers a significant increase in mass range and power savings while maintaining access to linearity, paving the way for a mass spectrometer based completely on ac waveforms for ion isolation, ion activation, and ion ejection. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of surface roughness correlation function by X‐ray reflectivity
Authors: Fujii Yoshikazu
Published: August 2016

X‐ray reflectivity (XRR) is a powerful tool for the analysis on surface and interface roughness. In the conventional XRR analysis, the reflectivity was calculated based on the Parratt formalism, accounting for the effect of roughness by the theory of Nevot–Croce. We have developed an improved XRR formalism which derives more accurate surface and interface roughness. In this study, we introduced the effective roughness depending on the incidence angle of X‐rays. The newly developed XRR formalism, which derives more accurate surface and interface roughness, is found to be dependent on the size of coherent X‐rays probing area, and further derives the roughness correlation function as well as the lateral correlation length. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of video case content on preservice elementary teachers’ decision‐making and conceptions of effective science teaching
Authors: Olson Joanne K. , Bruxvoort Crystal N. , Vande Haar Andrea J.
Published: August 2016

Little is known about how the content of a video case influences what preservice teachers learn about science teaching. This study was designed to determine the impact of two different video cases on preservice elementary teachers’ conceptions of multiple aspects of effective science teaching, with one video selected to focus attention on the role of the teacher. Three groups completed either: (i) a unit plan; (ii) a video case analysis with problematic selection of content and use of teacher behaviors; or (iii) a video case analysis with only problematic teacher behaviors. Two hundred seven end‐of‐semester oral defenses were analyzed to determine the extent to which group differences exist on six questions. Both groups who completed the video case analysis better consider how children learn when making decisions, involving activities and content than those who completed the unit plan. However, they do not use this same knowledge base to inform their role in interacting with children to move their thinking toward more accurate ideas. Prospective teachers in all three groups overlook the role of the teacher in the classroom and focus almost entirely on keeping children physically active. Therefore, even when a video case was deliberately selected to focus attention on the role of the teacher, this critically important aspect of teaching continues to be absent, or vague at best, for the 207 prospective teachers in this study. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 53: 1500–1523, 2016
Recent progress on CMOS successive approximation ADCs
Authors: Matsuura Tatsuji
Published: August 2016

Recent progress in CMOS integrated successive approximation (SAR) analog‐to‐digital converters (ADCs) is remarkable in terms of architecture and performance. Because of the inherent non‐necessity of active circuit elements such as operational amplifiers, the SAR architecture is suitable for fine CMOS processes. By using a time‐interleaved architecture, it achieves a very high speed conversion rate of 90 G‐sample/s with an 8‐bit resolution. Also, for applications with very low power consumption, such as wireless sensor nodes, it achieves 84 nW at 10‐bit, 200 k‐sample/s. A high signal to noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) can also be achieved by using several techniques such as an SAR architecture that combines oversampling and noise shaping. This survey paper explains the progress made recently in SAR‐ADC circuit techniques and the achieved performances. © 2016 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A comparison study on node clustering techniques used in target tracking WSNs for efficient data aggregation
Authors: Mahdi Omar Adil , Abdul Wahab Ainuddin Wahid , Idna Idris Mohd. Yamani , Abu znaid Ammar M. A. , Khan Suleman , Al‐Mayouf Yusor Rafid Bahar , Guizani Nadra
Published: August 2016

Wireless sensor applications are susceptible to energy constraints. Most of the energy is consumed in communication between wireless nodes. Clustering and data aggregation are the two widely used strategies for reducing energy usage and increasing the lifetime of wireless sensor networks. In target tracking applications, large amount of redundant data is produced regularly. Hence, deployment of effective data aggregation schemes is vital to eliminate data redundancy. This work aims to conduct a comparative study of various research approaches that employ clustering techniques for efficiently aggregating data in target tracking applications as selection of an appropriate clustering algorithm may reflect positive results in the data aggregation process. In this paper, we have highlighted the gains of the existing schemes for node clustering‐based data aggregation along with a detailed discussion on their advantages and issues that may degrade the performance. Also, the boundary issues in each type of clustering technique have been analyzed. Simulation results reveal that the efficacy and validity of these clustering‐based data aggregation algorithms are limited to specific sensing situations only, while failing to exhibit adaptive behavior in various other environmental conditions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Factors Associated with Interest in Gene‐Panel Testing and Risk Communication Preferences in Women from BRCA1/2 Negative Families
Authors: Flores Kristina G. , Steffen Laurie E. , McLouth Christopher J. , Vicuña Belinda E. , Gammon Amanda , Kohlmann Wendy , Vigil Lucretia , Dayao Zoneddy R. , Royce Melanie E. , Kinney Anita Y.
Published: August 2016

Scientific advances have allowed the development of multiplex gene‐panels to assess many genes simultaneously in women who have tested negative for BRCA1/2. We examined correlates of interest in testing for genes that confer modest and moderate breast cancer risk and risk communication preferences for women from BRCA negative families. Female first‐degree relatives of breast cancer patients who tested negative for BRCA1/2 mutations (N = 149) completed a survey assessing multiplex genetic testing interest and risk communication preferences. Interest in testing was high (70 %) and even higher if results could guide risk‐reducing behavior changes such as taking medications (79 %). Participants preferred to receive genomic risk communications from a variety of sources including: primary care physicians (83 %), genetic counselors (78 %), printed materials (71 %) and the web (60 %). Factors that were independently associated with testing interest were: perceived lifetime risk of developing cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 1.67: 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.06–2.65) and high cancer worry (OR = 3.12: CI 1.28–7.60). Findings suggest that women from BRCA1/2 negative families are a unique population and may be primed for behavior change. Findings also provide guidance for clinicians who can help develop genomic risk communications, promote informed decision making and customize behavioral interventions.
Dynamics of Fatty Acids, Tocopherols and Phenolic Compounds Biogenesis During Olive (Olea europaea L.) Fruit Ontogeny
Authors: Bodoira Romina , Torres Mariela , Pierantozzi Pierluigi , Aguate Fernando , Taticchi Agnese , Servili Maurizio , Maestri Damián
Published: August 2016

Fatty acids, tocopherols, and phenolic compounds biogenesis from two major Spanish olive cultivars (Arbequina and Manzanilla) were analyzed for the function of the thermal regime during the fruit ontogeny in a non‐Mediterranean environment. Bilinear models characterized the dynamics of fatty acid biogenesis. Regressions between the accumulated thermal time (TT) and the levels of both oleic and linoleic acids showed different responses to temperature of each olive cultivar. After reaching similar absolute maximum oleic acid contents at similar TT, the levels of this fatty acid decreased markedly in cv. Arbequina and its final concentration was 10 % lower than that found in cv. Manzanilla. In both cultivars, concentrations of all tocopherol isoforms were negatively associated with the TT accumulated over the entire oil accumulation period. Dynamics of phenolic compounds biogenesis showed no clear tendencies with TT. Nevertheless, and whatever the stage of fruit development, secoiridoids were the major phenolic components. Results suggest greater sensitivity of fatty acid metabolism to temperature in cv. Arbequina. This fact points out the necessity of appropriate evaluation of the ambient thermal characteristics before introducing this cultivar into new growing environments.
It's not just the big kids: Both high and low BMI impact bracing success for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
Authors: Goodbody Christine M. , Asztalos Ivor B. , Sankar Wudbhav N. , Flynn John M.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

Bracing is a common treatment for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and is recommended for most skeletally immature patients with a curve of 25–45° in order to prevent or delay curve progression. The aim of this study was to determine at which body habitus orthotic management for AIS becomes less effective. We hypothesize that overweight children are more likely to fail brace treatment.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study involving consecutive patients with AIS treated with a thoracolumbosacral orthosis at a large pediatric tertiary care center. Patients were divided into three groups based on BMI: (1) high-BMI group (BMI >85th percentile); (2) low-BMI group (BMI <20th percentile); (3) mid-BMI group (BMI 20th–85th percentile). Successful orthotic treatment was defined as an increase in the primary curve of <5°, prevention of progression past 45°, and avoidance of surgery.

Results

The study cohort comprised 182 patients with a mean age of 12.5 years at brace prescription and a mean follow-up of 2 years. Compared to the mid-BMI group, high- and low-BMI patients were significantly more likely to fail orthotic management. The association between high-BMI and orthotic failure disappeared when compliance and in-brace correction were taken into account, but the association between low-BMI and each poor outcome remained significant.

Conclusions

Based on our results, children on either end of the BMI spectrum are more likely to fail brace treatment for scoliosis than their mid-BMI counterparts. In high-BMI patients, this appears to be in large part attributable to an inadequacy of in-brace curve correction as well as to poorer brace compliance, while a low BMI appears to be an independent risk factor for brace failure. Level of evidence III.
Microbiota, regulatory T cell subsets, and allergic disorders
Authors: Ohnmacht Caspar
Published: August 2016

Epidemiologic studies revealed a crucial role of the environment for the increased prevalence of allergic disorders. The microbiota as part of our immediate environment promotes immune diversity that facilitates a well-equilibrated balance between immunity and tolerance. Alterations of our symbiotic microbiota especially in early life is thought to play a fundamental role in defining susceptibility to the development of allergic diseases during adult life on the population level. Due to a high density of bacteria, viruses and fungi and a large contact surface area for host-microbiota interactions, the most relevant interaction between microbes and our immune system are thought to occur in the gut. The immune system co-evolved with the symbiotic microbiota and adopted a variety of mechanisms to allow a dynamic state of tolerance, including the induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Foxp3-expressing Tregs are well-described immune regulators in autoimmune and allergic disorders. However, recent years have shown that Tregs can come in different flavours with different regulatory potential and outcome for our immune system. This review summarizes novel findings from basic immunology research that may help to better understand the interaction between the microbiota, differentiation of Tregs and its consequences for the onset and regulation of allergic disorders.
Concordance between HER‐2 status determined by qPCR in Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) samples compared with IHC and FISH in Core Needle Biopsy (CNB) or surgical specimens in breast cancer patients
Authors: Rodriguez Claudia , Suciu Voichita , Poterie Audrey , Lacroix Ludovic , Miran Isabelle , Boichard Amélie , Delaloge Suzette , Deneuve Jacqueline , Azoulay Sandy , Mathieu Marie-Christine , Valent Alexander , Michiels Stefan , Arnedos Monica , Vielh Philippe
Published: August 2016

Determining the status of HER2‐neu amplification and overexpression in breast cancer is crucial for prognosis but mostly for treatment purposes. Standard techniques include the determination of IHC in combination with in situ hybridization techniques to confirm a HER2‐neu amplification in case of IHC2+ using either a core‐needle biopsy or a surgical specimen. qPCR has been also demonstrated to be able to determine HER2 status, mostly in core biopsies or in surgical specimens. Fine‐needle aspiration is a reliable, quicker and less invasive technique that is widely used for diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. In this study, we assessed the performance of qPCR in invasive breast carcinomas to determine HER2‐neu status by using fine‐needle aspiration samples and comparing to standard IHC and FISH. From a total of 154 samples from patients who had nodular breast lesions and attended the 1‐day‐stop clinic at the Gustave Roussy from March 2013 to October 2014, qPCR was able to determine the HER2 status in a mean of 3.7 days (SD 3.1). The overall concordance with standard HER2‐testing was very high: 97% (95% CI 0.94 to 0.99); sensitivity was 96% (0.87–1), specificity 98% (0.95–1) and positive and negative predictive values 88% (0.75–1) and 99% (0.98–1), respectively.

In conclusion, our study demonstrates that qPCR performed using fine‐needle aspiration samples from a primary tumour is a reliable and fast method to determine HER2/neu status in patients with early breast cancer.
Research Methods in Healthcare Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Stewardship—Mathematical Modeling
Authors: Barnes Sean L. , Kasaie Parastu , Anderson Deverick J. , Rubin Michael
Published: August 2016

Mathematical modeling is a valuable methodology used to study healthcare epidemiology and antimicrobial stewardship, particularly when more traditional study approaches are infeasible, unethical, costly, or time consuming. We focus on 2 of the most common types of mathematical modeling, namely compartmental modeling and agent-based modeling, which provide important advantages—such as shorter developmental timelines and opportunities for extensive experimentation—over observational and experimental approaches. We summarize these advantages and disadvantages via specific examples and highlight recent advances in the methodology. A checklist is provided to serve as a guideline in the development of mathematical models in healthcare epidemiology and antimicrobial stewardship.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2016;1–7
Sustained Impact of an Antibiotic Stewardship Intervention for Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Authors: Li David X. , Ferrada Marcela A. , Avdic Edina , Tamma Pranita D. , Cosgrove Sara E.
Published: August 2016

Antibiotic stewardship interventions targeting community-acquired pneumonia have been successful in reducing antibiotic overuse in the short term, but the sustainability of their effects has not been investigated. We report that improvements in antibiotic use due to a syndrome-focused intervention for community-acquired pneumonia were sustained 3 years later without additional intervention.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–4
Association between inflammatory potential of diet and risk of depression in middle-aged women: the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health
Authors: Shivappa Nitin , Schoenaker Danielle A. J. M. , Hebert James R. , Mishra Gita D.
Published: August 2016

Dietary factors and inflammation markers have been shown to play a role in the development of depression. However, there are very few studies that have explored the association between inflammatory potential of diet and risk of depression. In this study, we examined the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII), which was developed specifically to measure the inflammatory potential of diet, and risk of depression in the middle-aged cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. A total of 6438 women with a mean age of 52·0 (sd 1·4) years at baseline were followed-up at five surveys over 12 years (2001–2013). Depression was defined as a score of ≥10 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression-10 scale. The DII score, a literature-derived, population-based dietary index that has been validated against several inflammatory markers, was computed on the basis of dietary intake assessed using a validated FFQ. Generalised estimating equations were used to estimate relative risk (RR) of depression according to DII score. Models were adjusted for energy intake, highest education completed, marital status, menopause status and symptoms, personal illness or injury, smoking status, physical activity, BMI and depression diagnosis or treatment. In total, 1156 women (18 %) had scores≥10 on the CESD scale over the course of 9 years. Women with the most anti-inflammatory diet had an approximately 20 % lower risk of developing depression compared with women with the most pro-inflammatory diet (RRDII quartile 1 v. 4: 0·81; 95 % CI 0·69, 0·96; Ptrend=0·03). These results suggest that an anti-inflammatory diet is associated with lower risk of depression in middle-aged Australian women.
An Argand diagram for two by two matrices
Authors: Crilly Tony
Published: August 2016

A vivid memory of mine is of being shown that certain 2 × 2 matrices were ‘really’ complex numbers. The correspondence between matrices of the form

and complex numbers

seemed magical and the additional remark that

was an unexpected bonus. The correspondence has been examined in various articles in the Gazette [1, 2]. That it is an isomorphism is seen by comparing

with

in the case of addition, and, in the case of multiplication, by comparing

with