bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utilization of polarization-inverted AlInGaN or relatively thinner AlGaN electron blocking layer in InGaN-based blue–violet laser diodes
Authors: Le Lingcong , Zhao Degang , Jiang Desheng , Chen Ping , Liu Zongshun , Zhu Jianjun , Yang Jing , Li Xiaojing , He Xiaoguang , Liu Jianping , Zhang Shuming , Yang Hui
Published: January 2015

Polarization-induced downward band-bending at the interface between the last quantum barrier (QB) and electron blocking layer (EBL) potentially reduce the effective barrier height and thus may increase the electron leakage in InGaN-based blue–violet laser diodes (LDs). In this work, LD structures with a specially designed polarization-inverted AlInGaN EBL or with a relatively thin ternary Al0.2Ga0.8N EBL are proposed, and their influences on device characteristics are evaluated numerically by using the lastip simulation program. The results indicate that for LDs with proposed EBLs, the problem induced by electric field and the downward band-bending at the interface between the last QB and EBL is alleviated, which results in a reduction of the electron leakage and an improvement of the performances of LDs.
On the physical and chemical details of alumina atomic layer deposition: A combined experimental and numerical approach
Authors: Pan Dongqing , Ma Lulu , Xie Yuanyuan , Jen Tien Chien , Yuan Chris
Published: January 2015

Alumina thin film is typically studied as a model atomic layer deposition (ALD) process due to its high dielectric constant, high thermal stability, and good adhesion on various wafer surfaces. Despite extensive applications of alumina ALD in microelectronics industries, details on the physical and chemical processes are not yet well understood. ALD experiments are not able to shed adequate light on the detailed information regarding the transient ALD process. Most of current numerical approaches lack detailed surface reaction mechanisms, and their results are not well correlated with experimental observations. In this paper, the authors present a combined experimental and numerical study on the details of flow and surface reactions in alumina ALD using trimethylaluminum and water as precursors. Results obtained from experiments and simulations are compared and correlated. By experiments, growth rate on five samples under different deposition conditions is characterized. The deposition rate from numerical simulation agrees well with the experimental results. Details of precursor distributions in a full cycle of ALD are studied numerically to bridge between experimental observations and simulations. The 3D transient numerical model adopts surface reaction kinetics and mechanisms based on atomic-level studies to investigate the surface deposition process. Surface deposition is shown as a strictly self-limited process in our numerical studies. ALD is a complex strong-coupled fluid, thermal and chemical process, which is not only heavily dependent on the chemical kinetics and surface conditions but also on the flow and material distributions.
In situ visualization of Li/Ag
2
VP
2
O
8
batteries revealing rate-dependent discharge mechanism
Authors: Kirshenbaum Kevin , Bock David C. , Lee Chia-Ying , Zhong Zhong , Takeuchi Kenneth J. , Marschilok Amy C. , Takeuchi Esther S.
Published: January 2015

Watching the silver lining inside

Some types of batteries contain both a transition metal reducible metal, such as the cathode material Ag
2
VP
2
O
8
. During operation, both Ag and V ions are reduced, and the Ag atoms can form wires to enhance the internal conductivity. Kirshenbaum
et al.
probe the discharge of a battery at different rates and track the formation of Ag atoms using in situ energy-dispersive x-ray diffraction (see the Perspective by Dudney and Li). They show how the discharge rate affects whether the Ag or V is preferentially reduced and also the distribution of the Ag atoms, and then correlate this to the loss of battery capacity at higher discharge rates.

Science
, this issue p.
149
; see also p.
131
Critical dynamics of spontaneous symmetry breaking in a homogeneous Bose gas
Authors: Navon Nir , Gaunt Alexander L. , Smith Robert P. , Hadzibabic Zoran
Published: January 2015

Breaking the symmetry in an atomic gas

Cooling a physical system through a phase transition typically makes it less symmetrical. If the cooling is done very slowly, this symmetry change is uniform throughout the system. For a faster cooling process, the system breaks up into domains: The faster the cooling, the smaller the domains. Navon
et al.
studied this process in an ultracold gas of Rb atoms near its transition to a condensed state (see the Perspective by Ferrari). The authors found that the size of the domains froze in time in the vicinity of the transition and that it depended on the cooling speed, as predicted by theory.

Science
, this issue p.
167
; see also p.
127
Heads-up limit hold’em poker is solved
Authors: Bowling Michael , Burch Neil , Johanson Michael , Tammelin Oskari
Published: January 2015

I'll see your program and raise you mine

One of the fundamental differences between playing chess and two-handed poker is that the chessboard and the pieces on it are visible throughout the entire game, but an opponent's cards in poker are private. This informational deficit increases the complexity and the uncertainty in calculating the best course of action—to raise, to fold, or to call. Bowling
et al.
now report that they have developed a computer program that can do just that for the heads-up variant of poker known as Limit Texas Hold 'em (see the Perspective by Sandholm).

Science
, this issue p.
145
; see also p.
122
China's aquaculture and the world's wild fisheries
Authors: Cao Ling , Naylor Rosamond , Henriksson Patrik , Leadbitter Duncan , Metian Marc , Troell Max , Zhang Wenbo
Published: January 2015

Curbing demand for wild fish in aquafeeds is critical
Division of labor in transhydrogenase by alternating proton translocation and hydride transfer
Authors: Leung Josephine H. , Schurig-Briccio Lici A. , Yamaguchi Mutsuo , Moeller Arne , Speir Jeffrey A. , Gennis Robert B. , Stout Charles D.
Published: January 2015

Dueling dimers serve dual purposes

Both bacteria and mitochrondria produce NADPH for amino acid biosynthesis and to remove reactive oxygen species. The enzyme that makes NADPH must translocate a proton across the membrane and transfer a hydride from NADH to NADP
+
—processes that happen some 40 Å apart. To understand this complex geometry, Leung
et al.
solved the structures of the entire transhydrogenase enzyme and the membrane domain from the bacterium
Thermus thermophilus
(see the Perspective by Krengel and Törnroth-Horsefield). The entire enzyme exists as a dimer, with the two membrane domains in alternate orientations. One of the membrane domains interacts with the membrane component for proton translocation, whereas the other domain exchanges hydride with NAD(H) in another large soluble domain.

Science
, this issue p.
178
; see also p.
125
Antimicrobial peptide resistance mediates resilience of prominent gut commensals during inflammation
Authors: Cullen T. W. , Schofield W. B. , Barry N. A. , Putnam E. E. , Rundell E. A. , Trent M. S. , Degnan P. H. , Booth C. J. , Yu H. , Goodman A. L.
Published: January 2015

Gut microbes resist inflammation

It is vital to human well-being that our gut microbiota can be distinguished from harmful, but often very similar, organisms. Cullen
et al.
begin to analyze how one dominant symbiont,
Bacteroidetes thetaiotaomicron
, does this. Our guts release potent antimicrobial peptides when we become infected with pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella, but these symbionts make an outer lipopolysaccharide coat that differs from those of pathogens by only one phosphate molecule. Enzymatic removal of this group is enough to confer resistance to the host's immune response and allow the symbionts to escape damage.

Science
, this issue p.
170
Assembly of micro/nanomaterials into complex, three-dimensional architectures by compressive buckling
Authors: Xu Sheng , Yan Zheng , Jang Kyung-In , Huang Wen , Fu Haoran , Kim Jeonghyun , Wei Zijun , Flavin Matthew , McCracken Joselle , Wang Renhan , Badea Adina , Liu Yuhao , Xiao Dongqing , Zhou Guoyan , Lee Jungwoo , Chung Ha Uk , Cheng Huanyu , Ren Wen , Banks Anthony , Li Xiuling , Paik Ungyu , Nuzzo Ralph G. , Huang Yonggang , Zhang Yihui , Rogers John A.
Published: January 2015

Popping materials and devices from 2D into 3D

Curved, thin, flexible complex three-dimensional (3D) structures can be very hard to manufacture at small length scales. Xu
et al.
develop an ingenious design strategy for the microfabrication of complex geometric 3D mesostructures that derive from the out-of-plane buckling of an originally planar structural layout (see the Perspective by Ye and Tsukruk). Finite element analysis of the mechanics makes it possible to design the two 2D patterns, which is then attached to a previously strained substrate at a number of points. Relaxing of the substrate causes the patterned material to bend and buckle, leading to its 3D shape.

Science
, this issue p.
154
; see also p.
130
PAXX, a paralog of XRCC4 and XLF, interacts with Ku to promote DNA double-strand break repair
Authors: Ochi Takashi , Blackford Andrew N. , Coates Julia , Jhujh Satpal , Mehmood Shahid , Tamura Naoka , Travers Jon , Wu Qian , Draviam Viji M. , Robinson Carol V. , Blundell Tom L. , Jackson Stephen P.
Published: January 2015

A factor for repairing broken DNA

Unprogrammed DNA double-strand breaks are extremely dangerous for genomic stability. Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair systems are present in all domains of life and help deal with these potentially lethal lesions. Ochi
et al.
have discovered a new factor involved in NHEJ by searching for proteins with structural similarities to known NHEJ proteins. Specifically, PAXX, a paralog of XRCC1 and XLF, interacts with a key repair pathway protein, Ku, and helps promote ligation of the broken DNA.

Science
, this issue p.
185
U.S. patent office reworks unpopular policy
Authors: Servick Kelly
Published: January 2015

New guidelines lower the barrier for patenting products derived from nature, quelling some biotech fears.
Beyond the Turing Test
Authors: You Jia
Published: January 2015

Concluding that there is no one test for machine intelligence, AI researchers develop a battery of research challenges.
Science and the search for meaning
The Meaning of Human Existence
Edward O. Wilson
Liveright, 2014. 208 pp.
Authors: Wolf Susan R.
Published: January 2015

Susan R. Wolf considers an ambitious attempt to employ scientific and philosophical reasoning to understand our place in the cosmos
Lessons from the future
The Peripheral
William Gibson
Putnam, 2014. 496 pp.
Authors: Riddihough Guy
Published: January 2015

A futuristic time travel tale resonates today, finds Guy Riddihough
Designing two-dimensional materials that spring rapidly into three-dimensional shapes
Authors: Ye Chunhong , Tsukruk Vladimir V.
Published: January 2015

Buckling of sheets can be engineered to rapidly create complex shapes

[Also see Report by

Xu
et al.

]
Using all energy in a battery
Authors: Dudney Nancy J. , Li Juchuan
Published: January 2015

Controlled electrode structure improves energy utilization

[Also see Report by

Kirshenbaum
et al.

]
Coping with oxidative stress
Authors: Krengel Ute , Törnroth-Horsefield Susanna
Published: January 2015

A crystal structure helps to explain how cells detoxify

[Also see Report by

Leung
et al.

]
Making sense of amino acid sensing
Authors: Abraham Robert T.
Published: January 2015

Biochemically and spatially diverse intracellular mechanisms couple the activity of a cell growth regulatory complex to the availability of amino acids

[Also see Reports by

Wang
et al.

and

Jewell
et al.

]
Solving imperfect-information games
Authors: Sandholm Tuomas
Published: January 2015

The smallest common poker game, two-player limit Texas Hold'em, is essentially solved

[Also see Research Article by

Bowling
et al.

]
Judging synthetic biology risks
Authors: Breitling Rainer , Takano Eriko , Gardner Timothy S.
Published: January 2015

Last month, the European Commission (EC) Scientific Committees issued a draft opinion on whether existing risk assessment methods are adequate for synthetic biology. This opinion, which was written by a Working Group of 20 experts from Europe and the United States,
*
could have a substantial impact on shaping European and global synthetic biology policy for years to come. It is open for public comment through 3 February 2015.
†
Comprehensive Review of Human Sapoviruses
Authors: Oka Tomoichiro , Wang Qiuhong , Katayama Kazuhiko , Saif Linda J.
Published: January 2015

Sapoviruses cause acute gastroenteritis in humans and animals. They belong to the genusSapoviruswithin the familyCaliciviridae. They infect and cause disease in humans of all ages, in both sporadic cases and outbreaks. The clinical symptoms of sapovirus gastroenteritis are indistinguishable from those caused by noroviruses, so laboratory diagnosis is essential to identify the pathogen. Sapoviruses are highly diverse genetically and antigenically. Currently, reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays are widely used for sapovirus detection from clinical specimens due to their high sensitivity and broad reactivity as well as the lack of sensitive assays for antigen detection or cell culture systems for the detection of infectious viruses. Sapoviruses were first discovered in 1976 by electron microscopy in diarrheic samples of humans. To date, sapoviruses have also been detected from several animals: pigs, mink, dogs, sea lions, and bats. In this review, we focus on genomic and antigenic features, molecular typing/classification, detection methods, and clinical and epidemiological profiles of human sapoviruses.
Current and Emerging Legionella Diagnostics for Laboratory and Outbreak Investigations
Authors: Mercante Jeffrey W. , Winchell Jonas M.
Published: January 2015

Legionnaires' disease (LD) is an often severe and potentially fatal form of bacterial pneumonia caused by an extensive list ofLegionellaspecies. These ubiquitous freshwater and soil inhabitants cause human respiratory disease when amplified in man-made water or cooling systems and their aerosols expose a susceptible population. Treatment of sporadic cases and rapid control of LD outbreaks benefit from swift diagnosis in concert with discriminatory bacterial typing for immediate epidemiological responses. Traditional culture and serology were instrumental in describing disease incidence early in its history; currently, diagnosis of LD relies almost solely on the urinary antigen test, which captures only the dominant species and serogroup,Legionella pneumophilaserogroup 1 (Lp1). This has created a diagnostic “blind spot” for LD caused by non-Lp1 strains. This review focuses on historic, current, and emerging technologies that hold promise for increasing LD diagnostic efficiency and detection rates as part of a coherent testing regimen. The importance of cooperation between epidemiologists and laboratorians for a rapid outbreak response is also illustrated in field investigations conducted by the CDC with state and local authorities. Finally, challenges facing health care professionals, building managers, and the public health community in combating LD are highlighted, and potential solutions are discussed.
Practical Guidance for Clinical Microbiology Laboratories: Diagnosis of Bacterial Gastroenteritis
Authors: Humphries Romney M. , Linscott Andrea J.
Published: January 2015

Bacterial gastroenteritis is a disease that is pervasive in both the developing and developed worlds. While for the most part bacterial gastroenteritis is self-limiting, identification of an etiological agent by bacterial stool culture is required for the management of patients with severe or prolonged diarrhea, symptoms consistent with invasive disease, or a history that may predict a complicated course of disease. Importantly, characterization of bacterial enteropathogens from stool cultures in clinical laboratories is one of the primary means by which public health officials identify and track outbreaks of bacterial gastroenteritis. This article provides guidance for clinical microbiology laboratories that perform stool cultures. The general characteristics, epidemiology, and clinical manifestations of key bacterial enteropathogens are summarized. Information regarding optimal specimen collection, transport, and processing and current diagnostic tests and testing algorithms is provided. This article is an update ofCumitech 12A(P. H. Gilligan, J. M. Janda, M. A. Karmali, and J. M. Miller,Cumitech 12A,Laboratory diagnosis of bacterial diarrhea, 1992).
Leprosy in the 21st Century
Authors: White Cassandra , Franco-Paredes Carlos
Published: January 2015

Despite significant improvements in leprosy (Hansen's disease) treatment and outlook for patients since the introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT) 3 decades ago, the global incidence remains high, and patients often have long-term complications associated with the disease. In this article, we discuss recent findings related to genetics, susceptibility, and disease reservoirs and the implications of these findings for Hansen's disease control and health outcomes for patients. We describe the continued difficulties associated with treatment of inflammatory episodes known as “leprosy reactions,” which cause much of the disability associated with the disease and can affect people for many years after MDT is complete. We also discuss some of the contemporary challenges for physicians and patients, including international and internal migration of people affected by the disease. We suggest some important areas of focus for future Hansen's disease research.
Current and Past Strategies for Bacterial Culture in Clinical Microbiology
Authors: Lagier Jean-Christophe , Edouard Sophie , Pagnier Isabelle , Mediannikov Oleg , Drancourt Michel , Raoult Didier
Published: January 2015

A pure bacterial culture remains essential for the study of its virulence, its antibiotic susceptibility, and its genome sequence in order to facilitate the understanding and treatment of caused diseases. The first culture conditions empirically varied incubation time, nutrients, atmosphere, and temperature; culture was then gradually abandoned in favor of molecular methods. The rebirth of culture in clinical microbiology was prompted by microbiologists specializing in intracellular bacteria. The shell vial procedure allowed the culture of new species ofRickettsia. The design of axenic media for growing fastidious bacteria such asTropheryma whippleiandCoxiella burnetiiand the ability of amoebal coculture to discover new bacteria constituted major advances. Strong efforts associating optimized culture media, detection methods, and a microaerophilic atmosphere allowed a dramatic decrease of the time ofMycobacterium tuberculosisculture. The use of a new versatile medium allowed an extension of the repertoire of archaea. Finally, to optimize the culture of anaerobes in routine bacteriology laboratories, the addition of antioxidants in culture media under an aerobic atmosphere allowed the growth of strictly anaerobic species. Nevertheless, among usual bacterial pathogens, the development of axenic media for the culture ofTreponema pallidumorMycobacterium lepraeremains an important challenge that the patience and innovations of cultivators will enable them to overcome.
Complete Genome Sequence of Porcine Parvovirus N Strain Isolated from Guangxi, China
Authors: Su Qian-Lian , Li Bin , Zhao Wu , Liang Jia-Xing , He Ying , Qin Yi-Bin , Lu Bing-Xia
Published: January 2015

We report here the complete genomic sequence of the porcine parvovirus (PPV) N strain, isolated in 1989 from the viscera of a stillborn fetus farrowed by a gilt in Guangxi, southern China. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the PPV-N strain is closely related to attenuated PPV NADL-2 strains. The PPV-N strain has good immunogenicity, genetic stability, and safety.
Complete Genome Sequence of Human Enterovirus Strain 71 (EV71/Taipei/3118/2011), Isolated from a Patient in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Chia-Pei , Liu Jiung-Liang , Chen Lung-Yuan , Liu Yi-Chao , Wang Hsiu-Chi , Lin Shih-Jie , Chen Pin-Chun , Wang Kun-Teng , Huang Chih-Hung , Yang Yi-Chan , Cheng Hwei-Fang , Shih Daniel Yang-Chih , Wang Der-Yuan
Published: January 2015

This full-length genome sequence of human enterovirus strain 71 (EV71/Taipei/3118/2011) was isolated from a clinical patient in Taiwan in 2011. According to the phylogenetic analysis, the complete genome sequence in this study is part of the subgenotype C4.
Draft Genome Sequence of Legionella pneumophila D-5864, a Serogroup 6 Strain
Authors: Morrison Shatavia S. , Kozak-Muiznieks Natalia A. , Sammons Scott , Rowe Lori A. , Frace Mike , Winchell Jonas M.
Published: January 2015

Legionella pneumophila
is the leading etiology of legionellosis infections in North America and Europe. Here we report the draft genome sequence of
L. pneumophila
D-5864, a serogroup 6 strain, which was isolated from a bronchial alveolar lavage specimen of a male patient from Arizona in 2009. Genes within the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-biosynthesis region could potentially be determinants of serogroup specificity.
Genome Sequence of Thermoactinomyces daqus H-18, a Novel Thermophilic Species Isolated from High-Temperature Daqu
Authors: Yao Su , Xu Youqiang , Xin Chunhui , Xu Ling , Liu Yang , Li Hui , Li Jinxia , Zhao Jiwen , Cheng Chi
Published: January 2015

Thermoactinomyces daqus
H-18 is a new species of Thermoactinomyces isolated from high-temperature Daqu used in the fermentation of Bandongjing sesame-flavor liquor. Its genome was sequenced and assembled (3.44 Mb). The coding sequences (CDSs) that correlated to high-temperature tolerance were annotated. The metabolic pathways for the compounds responsible for flavor were also found.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Drug-Resistant Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Obtained from Keratitis Patients in India
Authors: Aggarwal Ramesh K. , Dawar Chhavi , Das Satrupa , Sharma Savitri
Published: January 2015

We report here the draft genomes of two drug (fluoroquinolone)-resistant clinical isolates of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
obtained from the corneal scrapings of keratitis patients from India. The two annotated genomes are 6.31 Mb and 6.41 Mb in size. These genomes are expected to facilitate the identification and understanding of the genes associated with acquired multidrug resistance.
Complete Genome Sequence of Steroid-Transforming Nocardioides simplex VKM Ac-2033D
Authors: Shtratnikova Victoriya Y. , Schelkunov Mikhail I. , Pekov Yury A. , Fokina Victoria V. , Logacheva Mariya D. , Sokolov Sergey L. , Bragin Eugeny Y. , Ashapkin Vasily V. , Donova Marina V.
Published: January 2015

Nocardioides simplex
VKM Ac-2033D is an effective microbial catalyst for 3-ketosteroid 1(2)-dehydrogenation, and it is capable of effective reduction of carbonyl groups at C-17 and C-20, hydrolysis of acetylated steroids, and utilization of natural sterols. Here, the complete genome sequence is reported. An array of genes related to steroid metabolic pathways have been identified.
Finished Genome Sequence of Collimonas arenae Cal35
Authors: Wu Je-Jia , de Jager Victor C. L. , Deng Wen-Ling , Leveau Johan H. J.
Published: January 2015

We announce the finished genome sequence of soil forest isolate
Collimonas arenae
Cal35, which comprises a 5.6-Mbp chromosome and 41-kb plasmid. The Cal35 genome is the second one published for the bacterial genus Collimonas and represents the first opportunity for high-resolution comparison of genome content and synteny among collimonads.
Draft Genome Sequence of Actinoplanes utahensis NRRL 12052, a Microorganism Involved in Industrial Production of Pharmaceutical Intermediates
Authors: Velasco-Bucheli Rodrigo , del Cerro Carlos , Hormigo Daniel , Acebal Carmen , Arroyo Miguel , García José L. , de la Mata Isabel
Published: January 2015

Here, we describe the draft genome sequence of
Actinoplanes utahensis
NRRL 12052, a filamentous bacterium that encodes an aculeacin A acylase and a putative
N
-acyl-homoserine lactone acylase of biotechnological interest. Moreover, several nonribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) clusters and antibiotic resistance genes have been identified.
Draft Genome Sequence of Anammox Bacterium “Candidatus Scalindua brodae,” Obtained Using Differential Coverage Binning of Sequencing Data from Two Reactor Enrichments
Authors: Speth Daan R. , Russ Lina , Kartal Boran , op den Camp Huub J. M. , Dutilh Bas E. , Jetten Mike S. M.
Published: January 2015

We present the draft genome of anammox bacterium “
Candidatus
Scalindua brodae,” which at 282 contigs is a major improvement over the highly fragmented genome assembly of related species “
Ca.
Scalindua profunda” (1,580 contigs) which was previously published.
Advanced digital subtraction angiography and MR fusion imaging protocol applied to accurate placement of flow diverter device
Authors: Faragò Giuseppe , Caldiera Valentina , Tempra Giovanni , Ciceri Elisa
Published: January 2015

In recent years there has been a progressive increase in interventional neuroradiology procedures, partially due to improvements in devices, but also to the simultaneous development of technologies and radiological images. Cone beam CT (Dyna-CT; Siemens) is a method recently used to obtain pseudo CT images from digital subtraction angiography (DSA) with a flat panel detector. Using dedicated software, it is then possible to merge Dyna-CT images with images from a different source. We report here the usefulness of advanced DSA techniques (Syngo-Dyna CT, three-dimensional DSA iPilot) for the treatment of an intracranial aneurysm with a flow diverter device. Merging MR and Dyna-CT images at the end of the procedure proved to be a simple and rapid additional method of verifying the success of the intervention.
Fracture, inflation and floatation embolisation of PTCA balloon
Authors: O'Neill Louisa , Sowbhaga Vinay , Owens Patrick
Published: January 2015

This case outlines an unusual complication of coronary intervention, the likely mechanisms leading to this and possible retrieval options. It is the first case to the best of our knowledge reporting this complication. A 78-year-old Caucasian man underwent coronary stenting. During the procedure kinking and subsequent fracture of a non-compliant percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) balloon occurred. Injection of contrast down the guide to opacify the coronary arteries resulted in ‘inflation’ of the balloon with air, and embolisation of the inflated balloon into the proximal left anterior descending artery. The embolised balloon was retrieved by removal of the guide catheter and wire as a unit. The patient had a good angiographic outcome. This case highlights risks associated with usage of kinked balloons catheters, and describes for the first time to our knowledge, the inflation of a PTCA balloon with air from its shaft within the catheter, causing ‘floatation’ embolisation into the coronary artery.
Pneumomediastinum and pneumoretroperitoneum: an extremely rare presentation of acute appendicitis
Authors: Dalbem Caroline Sauter , Nunes Thiago Franchi , Machado Magali da Silva Sanches , Goldman Suzan Menasce
Published: January 2015

A 22-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain for 12 days. On examination, the abdomen was slightly distended and painful to palpation in the right flank. Subsequent abdominal imaging showed inflammation in the right iliac fossa, retroperitoneal air pockets with inflammation, and signs of pneumomediastinum. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a perforated retrocaecal appendix with abscess extending to the retroperitoneum. Surgical intervention involved a right hemicolectomy followed by end-to-side anastomosis of the ileum to the transverse colon. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen revealed intense inflammation of the caecum and no signs of malignancy. The patient was discharged in good condition 54 days after surgery.
Cone beam CT as an aid to diagnosing mixed radiopaque radiolucent lesions in the mandibular incisor region
Authors: Krishnan Unni , Al Maslamani Manal , Moule Alex J
Published: January 2015

We present two cases where the identities of mixed radiopaque radiolucent lesions in the lower incisor region were unclear, although the position of the lesions and positive pulp sensitivity tests were suggestive of periapical osseous dysplasia. In the first case, the lesion presented as a solitary round mixed radiopaque radiolucent periapical lesion, suggestive in some images as periapical osseous dysplasia. Cone beam CT (CBCT) provided clear images, which confirmed the diagnosis and, additionally, the images showed evidence of initial lesions associated with other anterior teeth and some destruction of the labial plate, not evident on the conventional radiographs. In the second case, radiopacities were identified within the lesion on conventional radiographs, but CBCT imaging also showed extensive and unexpected perforation of the lingual plate. Such destruction of cortical plates may be a feature of periapical osseous dysplasia, which is not visible in conventional radiography.
Painful acute radiation thyroiditis induced by131I treatment of Graves’ disease
Authors: Shah Kinjal K , Tarasova Valentina , Davidian Michael , Anderson Robert J
Published: January 2015

A 44-year-old woman, chronic smoker with Graves’ disease was treated with radioactive iodine ablation (RAI). One week after the treatment, she presented with severe pain in the anterior neck with radiation to the angle of the jaw associated with fatigue, tremor and odynophagia. Physical examination demonstrated an asymmetric and exquisitely tender thyroid gland. There was no laboratory evidence of thyrotoxicosis. Acute radiation thyroiditis was diagnosed. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hydrocodone-acetaminophen started initially were ineffective for pain control. Prednisone provided relief and was continued for 1 month with a tapering dose. Symptoms completely resolved after 1 month at which time the thyroid remained diffusely enlarged and non-tender. Three months following RAI ablation she developed hypothyroid symptoms. Levothyroxine was initiated. The patient has remained asymptomatic on continued follow-up care.
Lamellar macular hole after intravitreal ocriplasmin injection
Authors: Chod Ross Bronson , Goodrich Clifford , Saxena Sandeep , Akduman Levent
Published: January 2015

Intravitreal ocriplasmin was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to achieve medical vitreolysis in the setting of vitreomacular adhesion (VMA). We report a case of a 76-year-old woman who developed a lamellar macular hole following treatment with intravitreal ocriplasmin injection for VMA. A pathophysiological mechanism to explain this previously unreported complication of ocriplasmin injection is proposed.
Bilateral eccentric vision training on pseudovitelliform dystrophy with microperimetry biofeedback
Authors: Morales Marco Ulises , Saker Saker , Amoaku Winfried M
Published: January 2015

Low vision patients with eccentric viewing (EV) use extrafoveal retinal areas to compensate for the loss of central vision. Such retinal loci are known as the preferred retinal locus (PRL). It is known that EV is accompanied by unstable fixation. Microperimetry systems with biofeedback training have been used as a rehabilitation aid to improve fixation stability in EV patients. Normally, only the best or dominant eye is selected for such rehabilitation. This case report describes the rehabilitation on both eyes by means of PRL relocation with MAIA microperimetry (Centervue, Padova, Italy) with biofeedback training technology of a 74-year-old woman diagnosed with adult pseudovitelliform dystrophy. The patient presented binocularly similar anatomical and functional characteristics with the PRL located over the dystrophic area. At the end of the 3 months rehabilitation period, the PRL was successfully relocated inferiorly from the fovea showing relevant visual acuity improvement.
Childbirth, hospitalisation and sickness absence: a study of female twins
Authors: Björkenstam Emma , Alexanderson Kristina , Narusyte Jurgita , Kjeldgård Linnea , Ropponen Annina , Svedberg Pia
Published: January 2015

Objective

To investigate associations of giving birth with morbidity in terms of hospitalisation and social consequences of morbidity in terms of sickness absence (SA), while taking familial (genetics and shared environmental) factors into account.

Design

Prospective register-based cohort study. Estimates of risk of hospitalisation and SA were calculated as HRs with 95% CIs.

Setting

All female twins, that is, women with a twin sister, born in Sweden.

Participants

5118 Swedish female twins (women with a twin sister), born during 1959–1990, where at least one in the twin pair had their first childbirth (T0) during 1994–2009 and none gave birth before 1994.

Main outcome measures

Hospitalisation and SA during year 3–5 after first delivery or equivalent.

Results

Preceding the first childbirth, the mean annual number of SA days increased for mothers, and then decreased again. Hospitalisation after T0was associated with higher HRs of short-term and long-term SA (HR for short-term SA 3.0; 95% CI 2.5 to 3.6 and for long-term SA 2.3; 95% CI 1.6 to 3.2). Hospitalisation both before and after first childbirth was associated with a higher risk of future SA (HR for long-term SA 4.2; 95% CI 2.7 to 6.4). Familial factors influenced the association between hospitalisation and long-term SA, regardless of childbirth status.

Conclusions

Women giving birth did not have a higher risk for SA than those not giving birth and results indicate a positive health selection into giving birth. Mothers hospitalised before and/or after giving birth had higher risks for future SA, that is, there was a strong association between morbidity and future SA.
Japanese POEMS syndrome with Thalidomide (J-POST) Trial: study protocol for a phase II/III multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Katayama Kanako , Misawa Sonoko , Sato Yasunori , Sobue Gen , Yabe Ichiro , Watanabe Osamu , Nishizawa Masatoyo , Kusunoki Susumu , Kikuchi Seiji , Nakashima Ichiro , Ikeda Shu-ichi , Kohara Nobuo , Kanda Takashi , Kira Jun-ichi , Hanaoka Hideki , Kuwabara Satoshi
Published: January 2015

Introduction

Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a fatal systemic disorder associated with plasma cell dyscrasia and the overproduction of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Recently, the prognosis of POEMS was substantially improved by introduction of therapeutic intervention for myeloma. However, no randomised clinical trial has been performed because of the rarity and severity of the disease.

Methods and analysis

The Japanese POEMS syndrome with Thalidomide (J-POST) Trial is a phase II/III multicentre, double-blinded, randomised, controlled trial that aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 24-week treatment with thalidomide in POEMS syndrome, with an additional 48-week open-label safety study. Adults with POEMS syndrome who have no indication for transplantation are assessed for eligibility at 12 tertiary neurology centres in Japan. Patients who satisfy the eligibility criteria are randomised (1:1) to receive thalidomide (100–300 mg daily) plus dexamethasone (12 mg/m2on days 1–4 of a 28-day cycle) or placebo plus dexamethasone. Both treatments were administered for 24 weeks (six cycles; randomised comparative study period). Patients who complete the randomised study period or show subacute deterioration during the randomised period participate in the subsequent 48-week open-label safety study (long-term safety period). The primary end point of the study is the reduction rate of serum VEGF levels at 24 weeks.

Ethics and dissemination

The protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of each hospital. The trial was notified and registered at the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency, Japan (No. 22-1716). The J-POST Trial is currently ongoing and is due to finish in August 2015. The findings of this trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations and will also be disseminated to participants.

Trial registration number

UMIN000004179 and JMA-IIA00046.
The role of stents in the palliation of oesophageal cancer
Authors: Glen Paul
Published: January 2015

Oesophageal cancer is the 13th most common cancer in the UK and very few patients are suitable for radical treatment. Almost all of the remaining patients suitable for palliative treatment only have some degree of dysphagia requiring treatment. Self-expanding metal stents are currently the most common means of improving swallowing. This review discusses when we should stent patients, what type of stent we should use and how it can be carried out as well as illustrating the problems that can occur immediately after stent insertion and longer term problems.
Endothelin-1 and endothelin B receptor expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Authors: Cook N , Brais R , Qian W , Chan Wah Hak C , Corrie P G
Published: January 2015

Background

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) acting through endothelin A and B receptors (ETAR and ETBR) has been implicated in the development of cancer. The endothelin axis has not previously been characterised in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC).

Methods

Expression of ET-1, ETAR, ETBR, vascular endothelial growth factor and microvessel density (MVD) was determined by immunohistochemistry in 45 surgically resected human PACs and 15 non-cancer human pancreas samples.

Results

PAC had the highest staining intensity for ET-1 and ETBR: 38% PAC samples scored 2+ or more compared with 7% non-cancer sample in ET-1; 58% PAC samples scored 2+ compared with 0% non-cancer samples in ETBR. MVD was significantly lower in PAC compared with non-cancer tissue (p<0.0001).

Conclusions

PAC was characterised by greater expression of ET-1 and ETBR compared with normal pancreas.
Low health literacy predicts decline in physical function among older adults: findings from the LitCog cohort study
Authors: Smith Samuel G , O'Conor Rachel , Curtis Laura M , Waite Katie , Deary Ian J , Paasche-Orlow Michael , Wolf Michael S
Published: January 2015

Background

Limited health literacy is associated with worse physical function in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to determine if health literacy is a risk factor for decline in physical function among older adults.

Methods

A longitudinal cohort of 529 community-dwelling American adults aged 55–74 years were recruited from an academic general internal medicine clinic and federally qualified health centres in 2008–2011. Health literacy (Newest Vital Sign), age, gender, race, education, chronic conditions, body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking status and exercise frequency were included in multivariable analyses. The 10-item PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) physical function scale was assessed at baseline and follow-up (mean=3.2 years, SD=0.39).

Results

Nearly half of the sample (48.2%) had either marginal (25.5%) or low health literacy (22.7%). Average physical function at baseline was 83.2 (SD=16.6) of 100, and health literacy was associated with poorer baseline physical function in multivariable analysis (p=0.004). At follow-up, physical function declined to 81.9 (SD=17.3; p=0.006) and 20.5% experienced a meaningful decline (>0.5 SD of baseline score). In multivariable analyses, participants with marginal (OR 2.62; 95%CI 1.38 to 4.95; p=0.003) and low (OR 2.57; 95%CI 1.22 to 5.44; p=0.013) health literacy were more likely to experience meaningful decline in physical function than the adequate health literacy group. Entering cognitive abilities to these models did not substantially attenuate effect sizes. Health literacy attenuated the relationship between black race and decline in physical function by 32.6%.

Conclusions

Lower health literacy increases the risk of exhibiting faster physical decline over time among older adults. Strategies that reduce literacy disparities should be designed and evaluated.
Gromov's alternative, Eliashberg's shape invariant, and C0-rigidity of contact diffeomorphisms
Authors: Müller Stefan , Spaeth Peter
Published: January 2015

We prove that the group of contact diffeomorphisms is closed in the group of all diffeomorphisms with respect to the C0-topology. By Gromov's alternative, it suffices to exhibit a diffeomorphism that cannot be approximated uniformly by contact diffeomorphisms. Our construction uses Eliashberg's shape invariant.
W*-superrigidity for wreath products with groups having positive first ℓ2-Betti number
Authors: Berbec Mihaita
Published: January 2015

In [M. Berbec and S. Vaes, W*-superrigidity for group von Neumann algebras of left–right wreath products, Proc. London Math. Soc.108 (2014) 1116–1152] we have proven that, for all hyperbolic groups and for all nontrivial free products Γ, the left–right wreath product group 𝒢 ≔ (ℤ/2ℤ)(Γ) ⋊ (Γ × Γ) is W*-superrigid, in the sense that its group von Neumann algebra L𝒢 completely remembers the group 𝒢. In this paper, we extend this result to other classes of countable groups. More precisely, we prove that for weakly amenable groups Γ having positive first ℓ2-Betti number, the same wreath product group 𝒢 is W*-superrigid.
Vector-valued Siegel modular forms of weight detk ⊗ Sym(8)
Authors: Kiyuna Tomoya
Published: January 2015

We determine the structures of modules of vector-valued Siegel modular forms of weight det k ⊗ Sym (8) with respect to the full Siegel modular group of degree two.
Holomorphic harmonic morphisms from four-dimensional non-Einstein manifolds
Authors: Gudmundsson Sigmundur
Published: January 2015

We construct four-dimensional Riemannian Lie groups carrying left-invariant conformal foliations with minimal leaves of codimension 2. We show that these foliations are holomorphic with respect to an (integrable) Hermitian structure which is not Kähler. We then prove that the Riemannian Lie groups constructed are not Einstein manifolds. This answers an important open question in the theory of complex-valued harmonic morphisms from Riemannian 4-manifolds.
On linear series and a conjecture of D. C. Butler
Authors: Bhosle U. N. , Brambila-Paz L. , Newstead P. E.
Published: January 2015

Let C be a smooth irreducible projective curve of genus g and L a line bundle of degree d generated by a linear subspace V of H0(L) of dimension n + 1. We prove a conjecture of D. C. Butler on the semistability of the kernel of the evaluation map V ⊗ 𝒪C → L and obtain new results on the stability of this kernel. The natural context for this problem is the theory of coherent systems on curves and our techniques involve wall crossing formulae in this theory.
A note on the characteristic p nonabelian Hodge theory in the geometric case
Authors: Sheng Mao , Xin He , Zuo Kang
Published: January 2015

We provide a construction of associating a de Rham subbundle to a Higgs subbundle in characteristic p in the geometric case. As applications, we obtain a Higgs semistability result and a W2-unliftable result.
The effect of imposed temperature difference on thermal conductivity in armchair single-walled carbon nanotube
Authors: Mehri Ali , Jamaati Maryam , Moradi Moslem
Published: January 2015

Thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes depends on various factors. The simulation of heat transport in armchair single-walled carbon nanotube by direct nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) method employing Tersoff–Brenner potential indicates that, thermal conductivity decreases with increase in temperature difference between two ends of the tube. Increasing the imposed temperature differential along the tube axis, leads to domination of Umklapp scattering and impacts the heat transport. The applied temperature difference does not influence the behavior of thermal conductivity vs. tube length, diameter and temperature, but changes its value.
Gödel solution in the bumblebee gravity
Authors: Santos A. F. , Jesus W. D. R. , Nascimento J. R. , Petrov A. Yu.
Published: January 2015

Here, we consider a gravity theory involving a spontaneous Lorentz symmetry breaking called the bumblebee model. We show that, at certain values of the bumblebee field, the Gödel metric is consistent within this theory.
Remarks on the eigenvalues distributions of D≤4 Yang–Mills matrix models
Authors: Ydri Badis
Published: January 2015

The phenomenon of emergent fuzzy geometry and noncommutative gauge theory from Yang–Mills matrix models is briefly reviewed. In particular, the eigenvalue distributions of Yang–Mills matrix models in lower dimensions in the commuting (matrix or Yang–Mills) phase of these models are discussed.
On the way from Sakatons to quarks
Authors: Okun L. B.
Published: January 2015

This is my contribution to "50 Years of Quarks" written on the invitation from Prof. K. K. Phua and Prof. Harald Fritzsch to the 50th Jubilee of the discovery of quarks. It consists of two parts. In the first part I describe chronologically personal recollections from the years 1956–1980. The second part contains excerpts from my book "Particle Physics: The Quest for the Substance of Substance" published in 1985.
How I got to work with Feynman on the covariant quark model
Authors: Ravndal Finn
Published: January 2015

In the period 1968–1974 I was a graduate student and then a postdoc at Caltech and was involved with the developments of the quark and parton models. Most of this time I worked in close contact with Richard Feynman and thus was present from the parton model was proposed until QCD was formulated. A personal account is presented how the collaboration took place and how the various stages of this development looked like from the inside until QCD was established as a theory for strong interactions with the partons being quarks and gluons.
Searching for Elko dark matter spinors at the CERN LHC
Authors: Alves Alexandre , de Campos F. , Dias M. , M. Hoff da Silva J.
Published: January 2015

The aim of this paper is to explore the possibility of discovering a fermionic field with mass dimension one, the Elko field, in the Large Hadron Collider. Due to its mass dimension, an Elko can only interact either with Standard Model spinors and gauge fields at one-loop order or at tree level through a quartic interaction with the Higgs field. In this Higgs portal scenario, the Elko is a viable candidate to a dark matter constituent which has been shown to be compatible with relic abundance measurements from WMAP and direct dark matter searches. We propose a search strategy for this dark matter candidate in the channel [Formula: see text] at the [Formula: see text] LHC. We show the LHC potential to discover the Elko considering a triple Higgs–Elkos coupling as small as ~0.5 after 1 ab-1 of integrated luminosity. Some phenomenological consequences of this new particle and its collider signatures are also discussed.
On groups with locally compact asymptotic cones
Authors: Sapir Mark
Published: January 2015

We show how a recent result of Hrushovsky [Stable group theory and approximate subgroups, J. Amer. Math. Soc.25(1) (2012) 189–243] implies that if an asymptotic cone of a finitely generated group is locally compact, then the group is virtually nilpotent.
Rational subsets of unitriangular groups
Authors: Lohrey Markus
Published: January 2015

It is shown that there exist d, ℓ ≥ 3 and a sequence C1, …, Cℓ of cyclic subgroups of the d-dimensional unitriangluar matrix group over ℤ (which is finitely generated nilpotent) such that membership in the product C1 C2 ⋯ Cℓ is undecidable.