bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving the quality of cognitive screening assessments: ACEmobile, an iPad‐based version of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination‐III
Authors: Newman Craig G.J. , Bevins Adam D. , Zajicek John P. , Hodges John R. , Vuillermoz Emil , Dickenson Jennifer M. , Kelly Denise S. , Brown Simona , Noad Rupert F.
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Ensuring reliable administration and reporting of cognitive screening tests are fundamental in establishing good clinical practice and research. This study captured the rate and type of errors in clinical practice, using the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination‐III (ACE‐III), and then the reduction in error rate using a computerized alternative, the ACEmobile app.

Methods

In study 1, we evaluated ACE‐III assessments completed in National Health Service (NHS) clinics (n = 87) for administrator error. In study 2, ACEmobile and ACE‐III were then evaluated for their ability to capture accurate measurement.

Results

In study 1, 78% of clinically administered ACE‐IIIs were either scored incorrectly or had arithmetical errors. In study 2, error rates seen in the ACE‐III were reduced by 85%–93% using ACEmobile.

Discussion

Error rates are ubiquitous in routine clinical use of cognitive screening tests and the ACE‐III. ACEmobile provides a framework for supporting reduced administration, scoring, and arithmetical error during cognitive screening.
Sexual Arousal and Sexually Explicit Media (SEM): Comparing Patterns of Sexual Arousal to SEM and Sexual Self-Evaluations and Satisfaction Across Gender and Sexual Orientation
Authors: Hald Gert Martin , Stulhofer Aleksandar , Lange Theis
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Investigations of patterns of sexual arousal to certain groups of sexually explicit media (SEM) in the general population in non-laboratory settings are rare. Such knowledge could be important to understand more about the relative specificity of sexual arousal in different SEM users.

Aims

(i) To investigate whether sexual arousal to non-mainstream vs mainstream SEM contents could be categorized across gender and sexual orientation, (ii) to compare levels of SEM-induced sexual arousal, sexual satisfaction, and self-evaluated sexual interests and fantasies between non-mainstream and mainstream SEM groups, and (iii) to explore the validity and predictive accuracy of the Non-Mainstream Pornography Arousal Scale (NPAS).

Methods

Online cross-sectional survey of 2,035 regular SEM users in Croatia.

Main Outcomes Measures

Patterns of sexual arousal to 27 different SEM themes, sexual satisfaction, and self-evaluations of sexual interests and sexual fantasies.

Results

Groups characterized by sexual arousal to non-mainstream SEM could be identified across gender and sexual orientation. These non-mainstream SEM groups reported more SEM use and higher average levels of sexual arousal across the 27 SEM themes assessed compared with mainstream SEM groups. Only few differences were found between non-mainstream and mainstream SEM groups in self-evaluative judgements of sexual interests, sexual fantasies, and sexual satisfaction. The internal validity and predictive accuracy of the NPAS was good across most user groups investigated.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that in classified non-mainstream SEM groups, patterns of sexual arousal might be less fixated and category specific than previously assumed. Further, these groups are not more judgmental of their SEM-related sexual arousal patterns than groups characterized by patterns of sexual arousal to more mainstream SEM content. Moreover, accurate identification of non-mainstream SEM group membership is generally possible across gender and sexual orientation using the NPAS.
Trends in Penile Prosthetics: Influence of Patient Demographics, Surgeon Volume, and Hospital Volume on Type of Penile Prosthesis Inserted in New York State
Authors: Kashanian James A. , Golan Ron , Sun Tianyi , Patel Neal A. , Lipsky Michael J. , Stahl Peter J. , Sedrakyan Art
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Penile prostheses (PPs) are a discrete, well-tolerated treatment option for men with medical refractory erectile dysfunction. Despite the increasing prevalence of erectile dysfunction, multiple series evaluating inpatient data have found a decrease in the frequency of PP surgery during the past decade.

Aims

To investigate trends in PP surgery and factors affecting the choice of different PPs in New York State.

Methods

This study used the New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative (SPARCS) data cohort that includes longitudinal information on hospital discharges, ambulatory surgery, emergency department visits, and outpatient services. Patients older than 18 years who underwent inflatable or non-inflatable PP insertion from 2000 to 2014 were included in the study.

Outcomes

Influence of patient demographics, surgeon volume, and hospital volume on type of PP inserted.

Results

Since 2000, 14,114 patients received PP surgery in New York State; 12,352 PPs (88%) were inflatable and 1,762 (12%) were non-inflatable, with facility-level variation from 0% to 100%. There was an increasing trend in the number of annual procedures performed, with rates of non-inflatable PP insertion decreasing annually (P < .01). More procedures were performed in the ambulatory setting over time (P < .01). Important predictors of device choice were insurance type, year of insertion, hospital and surgeon volume, and the presence of comorbidities.

Clinical Implications

Major influences in choice of PP inserted include racial and socioeconomic factors and surgeon and hospital surgical volume.

Strengths and Limitations

Use of the SPARCS database, which captures inpatient and outpatient services, allows for more accurate insight into trends in contrast to inpatient sampling alone. However, SPARCS is limited to patients within New York State and the results might not be generalizable to men in other states. Also, patient preference was not accounted for in these analyses, which can play a role in PP selection.

Conclusions

During the past 14 years, there has been an increasing trend in inflatable PP surgery for the management of erectile dysfunction. Most procedures are performed in the ambulatory setting and not previously captured by prior studies using inpatient data.
A Republican Potential: The Rise and Fall of the German Democratic Party in Hof-an-der-Saale, 1918–1920
Authors: Burkhardt Alex
Published: December 2017

In January 1919, theBürgertumof the Bavarian town of Hof voted overwhelmingly for the left-liberal German Democratic Party (Deutsche Demokratische Partei, DDP). But the following summer, in theReichstagelections of June 1920, the Democrats sustained significant losses against the right-wing nationalist Bavarian Middle Party (Bayerische Mittelpartei, BMP). This article explores the rise and fall of the DDP in Hof by showing that a pro-republican politics initially proved popular among the localBürgertum, until its credibility was undermined and ultimately destroyed by a series of devastating crises: the BavarianRäterepublikof April 1919, the publication of the Versailles Treaty a month later, and the revolutionary and counterrevolutionary convulsions triggered by the Kapp Putsch in March 1920. This article concludes that political violence and a burgeoning confrontation betweenbürgerlicheand socialist milieus were the key factors in explaining the eclipse of left-liberalism in Hof during the first years of the Weimar Republic.
From Boondoggle to Settlement Colony: Hendrik Witbooi and the Evolution of Germany's Imperial Project in Southwest Africa, 1884–1894
Authors: Blackler Adam A.
Published: December 2017

In the span of ten years, what started as a minor commercial enterprise in a faraway African territory grew into an important extension of the German state. This article reorients our understanding of the relationship between theKaiserreichand its overseas empire, specifically with a focus on Captain Hendrik Witbooi and on how the Witbooi Namaqua he led influenced the evolution of German imperial rule in Southwest Africa between 1884 and 1894. Witbooi's refusal to accept imperial authority compelled colonial officials to confront their administrative limitations in the colony. When the façade of imperial fantasy gave way to colonial reality, German administrators expanded the size and scope of the imperial government to subdue the Namaqua. The article emphasizes the appointments ofLandeshauptmannCurt von François and Governor Theodor Leutwein as critical examples of Witbooi's impact on imperial policy, as well as the colonial administration's embrace of military violence to attain German supremacy in Southwest Africa. An emphasis on the Witbooi Namaqua illustrates the prominent role of Africans in German colonial history and exposes how peoples in distant places like Windhoek and Otjimbingwe manipulated official efforts to control and exploit the colony.
Growing Apart: Farmers and the Division of Germany, 1945–1965
Authors: Schaefer Sagi
Published: December 2017

A variety of external forces led to the division of Germany after 1945, and, almost three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, division continues to persist as a social, economic, and political factor in united Germany. This article contributes to scholarly efforts aimed at delineating the ways in which division became a component in the self-perception of many Germans. Focusing on farmers, it shows that their attachment to the land was one such path. At the same time, it argues that farmers were among the first to contend with division in 1945 and, as the most numerous participants in the so-called Little Border Traffic (Kleine Grenzverkehr) between the two postwar states, were keenly aware of the growing division of Germany from its earliest days. The article highlights the choice that farmers made between living in East or in West Germany, arguing that because crossing the border was optional until the mid-1960s, and because land was much less available in the West than in the East, many East German farmers came to associate life in West Germany with the loss of land—and life in East Germany with an ability to keep it. When deciding to stay put, flee westward, or move from West to East, farmers prioritized the degree to which they were attached to their land and property. By making that choice, they cemented their self-perception as belonging to one of the opposing sides. This was not an ideological declaration per se, but rather one rooted in eminently practical considerations.
Reimagining Energy and Growth: Decoupling and the Rise of a New Energy Paradigm in West Germany, 1973–1986
Authors: Gross Stephen G.
Published: December 2017

This article traces the rise of new ideas about energy and growth in West Germany between 1973 and 1986. It shows how new economic expertise emerged in response to the oil shocks, and looks at how West Germany could, paradoxically, sustain growth in a world of seemingly exhausted and insecure energy sources. These experts reconceptualized the economy to imagine a future where “decoupling”—reducing energy consumption while expanding Gross Domestic Production—was possible. They found support in the Social Democratic Party, which, in using their ideas to overcome an internal rift precipitated by the rise of the Green movement in the 1970s, helped make these new ideas mainstream. Investigating this new energy paradigm helps us understand why Germany began to diverge from other large, industrialized states in the 1980s, as it increasingly focused on energy conservation rather than on expanding its energy supply.
COMPARISONS OF SAMPLE RANGES ARISING FROM MULTIPLE-OUTLIER MODELS: IN MEMORY OF MOSHE SHAKED
Authors: Balakrishnan Narayanaswamy , Chen Jianbin , Zhang Yiying , Zhao Peng
Published: December 2017

In this paper, we discuss the ordering properties of sample ranges arising from multiple-outlier exponential and proportional hazard rate (PHR) models. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, sufficient conditions on the parameter vectors are provided for the reversed hazard rate order and the usual stochastic order between the sample ranges arising from multiple-outlier exponential models with common sample size. Next, stochastic comparisons are separately carried out for sample ranges arising from multiple-outlier exponential and PHR models with different sample sizes as well as different hazard rates. Some numerical examples are also presented to illustrate the results established here.
Landmark lecture: Perloff lecture: Tribute to Professor Joseph Kayle Perloff and lessons learned from him: aortopathy in adults with CHD
Authors: Niwa Koichiro
Published: December 2017

Marfan syndrome, bicuspid aortic valve, and/or coarctation of the aorta are associated with medial abnormalities of the ascending aortic or para-coarctation aorta. Medial abnormalities in the ascending aorta are prevalent in other type of patients with a variety of CHDs such as single ventricle, persistent truncus arteriosus, transposition of the great arteries, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and tetralogy of Fallot, encompassing a wide age range and may predispose to dilatation, aneurysm, and rapture necessitating aortic valve and root surgery. These CHDs exhibit ongoing dilatation of the aortic root and reduced aortic elasticity and increased aortic stiffness that may relate to intrinsic properties of the aortic root. These aortic dilatation and increased stiffness can induce aortic aneurysm, rapture of the aorta, and aortic regurgitation, but also provoke left ventricular hypertrophy, reduced coronary artery flow, and left ventricular failure. Therefore, a new clinical entity can be used to call this association of aortic pathophysiological abnormality, aortic dilation, and aorto-left ventricular interaction – “aortopathy”.
Landmark lecture on cardiac intensive care and anaesthesia: continuum and conundrums
Authors: Laussen Peter C.
Published: December 2017

Cardiac anesthesia and critical care provide an important continuum of care for patients with congenital heart disease. Clinicians in both areas work in complex environments in which the interactions between humans and technology is critical. Understanding our contributions to outcomes (modifiable risk) and our ability to perceive and predict an evolving clinical state (low failure-to-predict rate) are important performance metrics. Improved methods for capturing continuous physiologic signals will allow for new and interactive approaches to data visualization, and for sophisticated and iterative data modeling that will help define a patient’s phenotype and response to treatment (precision physiology).
Landmark lecture on surgery: paediatric cardiothoracic surgery – training the next generation of congenital heart surgeons
Authors: Starnes Vaughn A. , Sullivan Maura E.
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Recent changes in surgical education have had an impact on our congenital training programmes. The mandate of the 8-hour workweek, a rapidly expanding knowledge base, and a host of other mandates has had an impact on the readiness of the fellows who are entering congenital programmes. To understand these issues completely, we interviewed the top congenital experts in the United States of America. The purpose of this paper is to share their insight and offer suggestions to address these challenges.

Methods

We used a qualitative thematic analysis approach and performed phone interviews with the top five congenital experts in the United States of America.

Results

Experts unanimously felt that duty-hour restrictions have negatively affected congenital training programmes in the following ways: current fellows do not seem as conditioned as fellows in the past, patient handoffs are not consistent with excellent performance, the mentor–mentee relationship has been affected by duty-hour restrictions, and fellows may be less prepared for real-world practice. Three positive themes emerged in response to duty-hour restrictions: fellows appear to be doing less menial task work, fellows are now better rested for learning, and we are attracting more individuals into the speciality. Experts agreed that congenital fellowships should be increased to 2 years. There was support for both the traditional and integrated residency pathways.

Discussion

We are in a new era of education and must work together to overcome the challenges that have arisen in recent years.
The 2017 Seventh World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery: week in review – interventional cardiology
Authors: Kenny Damien P. , Hijazi Ziyad M.
Published: December 2017

The interventional cardiology track at the 7th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery reflects the pivotal position of transcatheter interventions in the future of our speciality. The highlights of the week are outlined in this review.
The dietary impact of introducing new retailers of fruits and vegetables into a community: results from a systematic review
Authors: Woodruff Rebecca C , Raskind Ilana G , Harris Diane M , Gazmararian Julie A , Kramer Michael , Haardörfer Regine , Kegler Michelle C
Published: December 2017

Objective

To investigate the potential dietary impact of the opening of new retailers of healthy foods.

Design

Systematic review of the peer-reviewed research literature.

Setting

References published before November 2015 were retrieved from MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science databases using keyword searches.

Subjects

The outcome of the review was change in fruit and vegetable consumption among adults.

Results

Of 3514 references retrieved, ninety-two articles were reviewed in full text, and twenty-three articles representing fifteen studies were included. Studies used post-test only (n 4), repeated cross-sectional (n 4) and repeated measures designs (n 7) to evaluate the dietary impact of supermarket (n 7), farmers’ market (n 4), produce stand (n 2) or mobile market (n 2) openings. Evidence of increased fruit and vegetable consumption was most consistent among adults who began shopping at the new retailer. Three of four repeated measures studies found modest, albeit not always statistically significant, increases in fruit and vegetable consumption (range 0·23–0·54 servings/d) at 6–12 months after baseline. Dietary change among residents of the broader community where the new retailer opened was less consistent.

Conclusions

The methodological quality of studies, including research designs, sampling methods, follow-up intervals and outcome measures, ranged widely. Future research should align methodologically with previous work to facilitate meta-analytic synthesis of results. Opening a new retailer may result in modest short-term increases in fruit and vegetable consumption among adults who choose to shop there, but the potential longer-term dietary impact on customers and its impact on the broader community remain unclear.
Involving citizens in disinvestment decisions: what do health professionals think? Findings from a multi-method study in the English NHS
Authors: Daniels Tom , Williams Iestyn , Bryan Stirling , Mitton Craig , Robinson Suzanne
Published: December 2017

Public involvement in disinvestment decision making in health care is widely advocated, and in some cases legally mandated. However, attempts to involve the public in other areas of health policy have been accused of tokenism and manipulation. This paper presents research into the views of local health care leaders in the English National Health Service (NHS) with regards to the involvement of citizens and local communities in disinvestment decision making. The research includes a Q study and follow-up interviews with a sample of health care clinicians and managers in senior roles in the English NHS. It finds that whilst initial responses suggest high levels of support for public involvement, further probing of attitudes and experiences shows higher levels of ambivalence and risk aversion and a far more cautious overall stance. This study has implications for the future of disinvestment activities and public involvement in health care systems faced with increased resource constraint. Recommendations are made for future research and practice.
Loss of mtDNA activates astrocytes and leads to spongiotic encephalopathy
Authors: Ignatenko Olesia , Chilov Dmitri , Paetau Ilse , de Miguel Elena , Jackson Christopher B. , Capin Gabrielle , Paetau Anders , Terzioglu Mugen , Euro Liliya , Suomalainen Anu
Published: December 2017

Mitochondrial dysfunction manifests as different neurological diseases, but the mechanisms underlying the clinical variability remain poorly understood. To clarify whether different brain cells have differential sensitivity to mitochondrial dysfunction, we induced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion in either neurons or astrocytes of mice, by inactivating Twinkle (TwKO), the replicative mtDNA helicase. Here we show that astrocytes, the most abundant cerebral cell type, are chronically activated upon mtDNA loss, leading to early-onset spongiotic degeneration of brain parenchyma, microgliosis and secondary neurodegeneration. Neuronal mtDNA loss does not, however, cause symptoms until 8 months of age. Findings in astrocyte-TwKO mimic neuropathology of Alpers syndrome, infantile-onset mitochondrial spongiotic encephalopathy caused by mtDNA maintenance defects. Our evidence indicates that (1) astrocytes are dependent on mtDNA integrity; (2) mitochondrial metabolism contributes to their activation; (3) chronic astrocyte activation has devastating consequences, underlying spongiotic encephalopathy; and that (4) astrocytes are a potential target for interventions.
How to probe the spin contribution to momentum relaxation in topological insulators
Authors: Nam Moon-Sun , Williams Benjamin H. , Chen Yulin , Contera Sonia , Yao Shuhua , Lu Minghui , Chen Yan-Feng , Timco Grigore A. , Muryn Christopher A. , Winpenny Richard E. P. , Ardavan Arzhang
Published: December 2017

Topological insulators exhibit a metallic surface state in which the directions of the carriers’ momentum and spin are locked together. This characteristic property, which lies at the heart of proposed applications of topological insulators, protects carriers in the surface state from back-scattering unless the scattering centres are time-reversal symmetry breaking (i.e. magnetic). Here, we introduce a method of probing the effect of magnetic scattering by decorating the surface of topological insulators with molecules, whose magnetic degrees of freedom can be engineered independently of their electrostatic structure. We show that this approach allows us to separate the effects of magnetic and non-magnetic scattering in the perturbative limit. We thereby confirm that the low-temperature conductivity of SmB6 is dominated by a surface state and that the momentum of quasiparticles in this state is particularly sensitive to magnetic scatterers, as expected in a topological insulator.
A non-cell-autonomous role for Pml in the maintenance of leukemia from the niche
Authors: Guarnerio Jlenia , Mendez Lourdes Maria , Asada Noboru , Menon Archita Venugopal , Fung Jacqueline , Berry Kelsey , Frenette Paul S. , Ito Keisuke , Pandolfi Pier Paolo
Published: December 2017

Disease recurrence after therapy, due to the persistence of resistant leukemic cells, represents a fundamental problem in the treatment of leukemia. Elucidating the mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of leukemic cells, before and after treatment, is therefore critical to identify curative modalities. It has become increasingly clear that cell-autonomous mechanisms are not solely responsible for leukemia maintenance. Here, we report a role for Pml in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in supporting leukemic cells of both CML and AML. Mechanistically, we show that Pml regulates pro-inflammatory cytokines within MSCs, and that this function is critical in sustaining CML-KLS and AML ckit+ leukemic cells non-cell autonomously.
Profiling the lymphoid-resident T cell pool reveals modulation by age and microbiota
Authors: Durand Aurélie , Audemard-Verger Alexandra , Guichard Vincent , Mattiuz Raphaël , Delpoux Arnaud , Hamon Pauline , Bonilla Nelly , Rivière Matthieu , Delon Jérôme , Martin Bruno , Auffray Cédric , Boissonnas Alexandre , Lucas Bruno
Published: December 2017

Despite being implicated in non-lymphoid tissues, non-recirculating T cells may also exist in secondary lymphoid organs (SLO). However, a detailed characterization of this lymphoid-resident T cell pool has not yet been done. Here we show that a substantial proportion of CD4 regulatory (Treg) and memory (Tmem) cells establish long-term residence in the SLOs of specific pathogen-free mice. Of these SLOs, only T cell residence within Peyer’s patches is affected by microbiota. Resident CD4 Treg and CD4 Tmem cells from lymph nodes and non-lymphoid tissues share many phenotypic and functional characteristics. The percentage of resident T cells in SLOs increases considerably with age, with S1PR1 downregulation possibly contributing to this altered homeostasis. Our results thus show that T cell residence is not only a hallmark of non-lymphoid tissues, but can be extended to secondary lymphoid organs.
Sleeping sickness is a circadian disorder
Authors: Rijo-Ferreira Filipa , Carvalho Tânia , Afonso Cristina , Sanches-Vaz Margarida , Costa Rui M , Figueiredo Luísa M. , Takahashi Joseph S.
Published: December 2017

Sleeping sickness is a fatal disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei, a unicellular parasite that lives in the bloodstream and interstitial spaces of peripheral tissues and the brain. Patients have altered sleep/wake cycles, body temperature, and endocrine profiles, but the underlying causes are unknown. Here, we show that the robust circadian rhythms of mice become phase advanced upon infection, with abnormal activity occurring during the rest phase. This advanced phase is caused by shortening of the circadian period both at the behavioral level as well as at the tissue and cell level. Period shortening is T. brucei specific and independent of the host immune response, as co-culturing parasites with explants or fibroblasts also shortens the clock period, whereas malaria infection does not. We propose that T. brucei causes an advanced circadian rhythm disorder, previously associated only with mutations in clock genes, which leads to changes in the timing of sleep.
Trithorax dependent changes in chromatin landscape at enhancer and promoter regions drive female puberty
Authors: Toro Carlos A. , Wright Hollis , Aylwin Carlos F. , Ojeda Sergio R. , Lomniczi Alejandro
Published: December 2017

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins control the timing of puberty by repressing the Kiss1 gene in hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) neurons. Here we identify two members of the Trithorax group (TrxG) of modifiers, mixed-lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1), and 3 (MLL3), as central components of an activating epigenetic machinery that dynamically counteracts PcG repression. Preceding puberty, MLL1 changes the chromatin configuration at the promoters of Kiss1 and Tac3, two genes required for puberty to occur, from repressive to permissive. Concomitantly, MLL3 institutes a chromatin structure that changes the functional status of a Kiss1 enhancer from poised to active. RNAi-mediated, ARC-specific Mll1 knockdown reduced Kiss1 and Tac3 expression, whereas CRISPR-Cas9-directed epigenome silencing of the Kiss1 enhancer selectively reduced Kiss1 activity. Both interventions delay puberty and disrupt reproductive cyclicity. Our results demonstrate that an epigenetic switch from transcriptional repression to activation is crucial to the regulatory mechanism controlling the timing of mammalian puberty.
Acculturation orientations affect the evolution of a multicultural society
Authors: Erten E. Yagmur , van den Berg Pieter , Weissing Franz J.
Published: December 2017

The migration of people between different cultures has affected cultural change throughout history. To understand this process, cross-cultural psychologists have used the ‘acculturation’ framework, classifying ‘acculturation orientations’ along two dimensions: the willingness to interact with culturally different individuals, and the inclination to retain the own cultural identity (‘cultural conservatism’). Here, using a cultural evolution approach, we construct a dynamically explicit model of acculturation. We show that the evolution of a multicultural society, where immigrant and resident culture stably coexist, is more likely if individuals readily engage in cross-cultural interactions, and if resident individuals are more culturally conservative than immigrants. This result holds if some cultural traits pay off better than others, and individuals use social learning to adopt more advantageous cultural traits. Our study demonstrates that formal dynamic models can help us understand how individual orientations towards immigration eventually determine the population-level distribution of cultural traits.
Light-tuned selective photosynthesis of azo- and azoxy-aromatics using graphitic C3N4
Authors: Dai Yitao , Li Chao , Shen Yanbin , Lim Tingbin , Xu Jian , Li Yongwang , Niemantsverdriet Hans , Besenbacher Flemming , Lock Nina , Su Ren
Published: December 2017

Solar-driven photocatalysis has attracted significant attention in water splitting, CO2 reduction and organic synthesis. The syntheses of valuable azo- and azoxyaromatic dyes via selective photoreduction of nitroaromatic compounds have been realised using supported plasmonic metal nanoparticles at elevated temperatures (≥90 °C); however, the high cost, low efficiency and poor selectivity of such catalyst systems at room temperature limit their application. Here we demonstrate that the inexpensive graphitic C3N4 is an efficient photocatalyst for selective syntheses of a series of azo- and azoxy-aromatic compounds from their corresponding nitroaromatics under either purple (410 nm) or blue light (450 nm) excitation. The high efficiency and high selectivity towards azo- and azoxy-aromatic compounds can be attributed to the weakly bound photogenerated surface adsorbed H-atoms and a favourable N-N coupling reaction. The results reveal financial and environmental potential of photocatalysis for mass production of valuable chemicals.
A neural basis for antagonistic control of feeding and compulsive behaviors
Authors: Mangieri Leandra R. , Lu Yungang , Xu Yuanzhong , Cassidy Ryan M. , Xu Yong , Arenkiel Benjamin R. , Tong Qingchun
Published: December 2017

Abnormal feeding often co-exists with compulsive behaviors, but the underlying neural basis remains unknown. Excessive self-grooming in rodents is associated with compulsivity. Here, we show that optogenetically manipulating the activity of lateral hypothalamus (LH) projections targeting the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH) differentially promotes either feeding or repetitive self-grooming. Whereas selective activation of GABAergic LH→PVH inputs induces feeding, activation of glutamatergic inputs promotes self-grooming. Strikingly, targeted stimulation of GABAergic LH→PVH leads to rapid and reversible transitions to feeding from induced intense self-grooming, while activating glutamatergic LH→PVH or PVH neurons causes rapid and reversible transitions to self-grooming from voracious feeding induced by fasting. Further, specific inhibition of either LH→PVH GABAergic action or PVH neurons reduces self-grooming induced by stress. Thus, we have uncovered a parallel LH→PVH projection circuit for antagonistic control of feeding and self-grooming through dynamic modulation of PVH neuron activity, revealing a common neural pathway that underlies feeding and compulsive behaviors.
Controlling protein activity by dynamic recruitment on a supramolecular polymer platform
Authors: Wijnands Sjors P. W. , Engelen Wouter , Lafleur René P. M. , Meijer E. W. , Merkx Maarten
Published: December 2017

Nature uses dynamic molecular platforms for the recruitment of weakly associating proteins into higher-order assemblies to achieve spatiotemporal control of signal transduction. Nanostructures that emulate this dynamic behavior require features such as plasticity, specificity and reversibility. Here we introduce a synthetic protein recruitment platform that combines the dynamics of supramolecular polymers with the programmability offered by DNA-mediated protein recruitment. Assembly of benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) derivatives functionalized with a 10-nucleotide receptor strand into µm-long supramolecular BTA polymers is remarkably robust, even with high contents of DNA-functionalized BTA monomers and associated proteins. Specific recruitment of DNA-conjugated proteins on the supramolecular polymer results in a 1000-fold increase in protein complex formation, while at the same time enabling their rapid exchange along the BTA polymer. Our results establish supramolecular BTA polymers as a generic protein recruitment platform and demonstrate how assembly of protein complexes along the supramolecular polymer allows efficient and dynamic control of protein activity.
Quantitative N-glycoproteomics of milk fat globule membrane in human colostrum and mature milk reveals changes in protein glycosylation during lactation
Authors: Cao Xueyan , Kang Shimo , Yang Mei , Li Weixuan , Wu Shangyi , Han Hongjiao , Meng Lingshuai , Wu Rina , Yue Xiqing
Published: December 2017

The present study profiled the N-glycoproteome and quantified the changes of N-glycosylation site occupancy of MFGM proteins during lactation.
Lignin extraction and catalytic upgrading from genetically modified poplar
Authors: Luo Hao , Abu-Omar Mahdi M.
Published: December 2017

Lignin as the only natural resource of aromatics has been extracted in methanol and catalytically upgraded to three monomeric phenol products.
A water-soluble, bay-functionalized perylenediimide derivative – correlating aggregation and excited state dynamics
Authors: Dirian K. , Bauroth S. , Roth A. , Syrgiannis Z. , Rigodanza F. , Burian M. , Amenitsch H. , Sharapa D. I. , Prato M. , Clark T. , Guldi D. M.
Published: December 2017

The aggregation and the photophysics of a water soluble perylenediimide (PDI) derivative that features two bromine substituents in the bay positions has been probed.
Bio-inspired robust non-iridescent structural color with self-adhesive amorphous colloidal particle arrays
Authors: Liu Panmiao , Chen Jialun , Zhang Zexi , Xie Zhuoying , Du Xin , Gu Zhongze
Published: December 2017

Bio-inspired robust non-iridescent structural color materials were fabricated from amorphous colloidal arrays of polydopamine coated silica nanoparticles through a “spraying” process.
In situ tailoring of superconducting junctions via electro-annealing
Authors: Lombardo Joseph , Jelić Željko L. , Baumans Xavier D. A. , Scheerder Jeroen E. , Nacenta Jorge P. , Moshchalkov Victor V. , Van de Vondel Joris , Kramer Roman B. G. , Milošević Milorad V. , Silhanek Alejandro V.
Published: December 2017

Controlled electro-annealing allowed the in situ formation of a tunable superconducting weak link in Nb nanoconstrictions.
Evidence of a truncated spectrum in the angular correlation function of the cosmic microwave background
Authors: Melia F. , López-Corredoira M.
Published: December 2017

Aim. The lack of large-angle correlations in the fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) conflicts with predictions of slow-roll inflation. But while probabilities (≲0.24%) for the missing correlations disfavour the conventional picture at ≳3σ, factors not associated with the model itself may be contributing to the tension. Here we aim to show that the absence of large-angle correlations is best explained with the introduction of a non-zero minimum wave number kmin for the fluctuation power spectrum P(k).

Methods. We assumed that quantum fluctuations were generated in the early Universe with a well-defined power spectrum P(k), although with a cut-off kmin ≠ 0. We then re-calculated the angular correlation function of the CMB and compared it with Planck observations.

Results. The Planck 2013 data rule out a zero kmin at a confidence level exceeding 8σ. Whereas purely slow-roll inflation would have stretched all fluctuations beyond the horizon, producing a P(k) with kmin = 0 – and therefore strong correlations at all angles – a kmin ≠ 0 would signal the presence of a maximum wavelength at the time (tdec) of decoupling. This argues against the basic inflationary paradigm, and perhaps even suggests non-inflationary alternatives, for the origin and growth of perturbations in the early Universe. In at least one competing cosmology, the Rh = ct universe, the inferred kmin corresponds to the gravitational radius at tdec.
Traumatic Neonatal Lumbar Punctures: Experience at a Large Pediatric Tertiary Care Center in Canada
Authors: Kollmann Tobias , Matettore Adela
Published: December 2017

Objective Contamination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by blood during neonatal lumbar puncture (LP) is common and poses diagnostic difficulties. Our objectives were to determine the number of traumatic LPs performed at the BC Children's Hospital over 9 years and whether there was an association between traumatic LPs and demographic variables, hospital location, or time of the procedure.

Study Design This study was a retrospective review of neonatal CSF samples from May 2006 to March 2015. The data were analyzed to establish the rate of traumatic samples and whether there was an association between traumatic LPs and demographic variables (age, gender), location of procedure, positive CSF culture, and/or timing of the procedure.

Results A total of 1,263 LPs were reviewed, 47.7% (n = 602) were contaminated with >400 red blood cells/high-power field. The median age of neonates whose samples were uncontaminated was 10.580 days compared with 6.535 days in the group with contaminated samples (z =  − 2.884, p = 0.004). None of the other factors studied was associated with traumatic taps. Detected organisms included Escherichia coli (n = 12), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (n = 7), Enterococcus faecalis (n = 3), and group B Streptococcus (n = 2).

Conclusion Nearly half of all CSF samples in the study period were contaminated. Traumatic samples were more common in younger neonates.
Risk of Neonatal Neurologic Morbidity in Advancing Term Gestations
Authors: Stout Molly , Tuuli Methodius , López Julia , Macones George , Cahill Alison , Lewkowitz Adam
Published: December 2017

Objective Placental insufficiency is associated with neonatal neurologic morbidity and late-term gestations (410/7–416/7 weeks). Whether late-term infants are at increased risk of neurologic morbidity compared with term infants (390/7–406/7 weeks) remains unclear. We aim to compare risk of neurologic morbidity among late-term and term infants.

Study Design This secondary analysis of a single-institution prospective cohort study included all liveborn, nonanomalous singleton term and late-term infants, with data on adverse neonatal outcomes up until 28 days of life. The primary outcome was a neonatal neurologic morbidity composite, defined by having one of these conditions: neonatal seizures, intraventricular hemorrhage, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, and neonatal hypothermic therapy. Secondary outcomes were the composite's individual components and nonneurologic neonatal morbidity. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for delivery mode, nulliparity, and labor type.

Results Of 5,529 infants included, 747 were late term and 4,782 were term. The risk of composite neurologic morbidity was not significantly different among late-term or term infants (0.5 vs. 0.6%; adjusted odds ratio: 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.21–1.71). Overall neonatal morbidity was not significantly different in the two groups, though late-term infants had a nonsignificantly higher prevalence of respiratory distress syndrome (5.5 vs. 3.3%) and meconium aspiration syndrome (0.7 vs. 0.2%).

Conclusion Neonatal neurologic morbidity is uncommon after 39 weeks. Risk does not increase after 41 weeks.
„…dann würde ich traurig werden, weil alle über meinen Papa reden“ – Die Rolle des Stigmas in Familien mit psychisch erkranktem Elternteil
Authors: Wahl Patricia , Otto Christina , Lenz Albert
Published: December 2017

Die Stigmatisierung psychischer Erkrankungen ist ein gesellschaftliches Problem, das auch für die Hilfesuche eine Rolle spielt. Im Rahmen einer qualitativen Interviewstudie wurde eruiert, welche Rolle Stigma bei der Hilfesuche aus Sicht von psychisch erkrankten Eltern und ihren Angehörigen spielt. Auch die Perspektive ihrer Kinder wurde einbezogen. Erkrankte Eltern räumten dem Thema Stigmatisierung eine wichtige Rolle im Zusammenhang mit Hilfesuchprozessen ein, die Kinder machten hierzu kaum explizite Äußerungen, ein implizites Bewusstsein für Stigmatisierung scheint aber vorhanden zu sein.
High temperature characterization of piezoelectric lithium niobate using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy resonance method
Authors: de Castilla Hector , Bélanger Pierre , Zednik Ricardo J.
Published: December 2017

Piezoelectric materials reversibly deform when exposed to an electric field. This property is indispensable to modern engineering devices, enabling a wide range of sensors and actuators. However, unfortunately conventional piezoelectric materials are limited to operating temperatures of below approximately 200 °C. Lithium niobate is a promising candidate for high temperature applications (above 500 °C), as it has a high Curie temperature (1200 °C) and good piezoelectric properties. Nevertheless, degradation mechanisms occurring at elevated temperatures are not fully understood, although they are known to interfere with the piezoelectric behavior. In addition, the material properties of this technologically promising ceramic have not been adequately characterized at high temperatures, particularly when excited at high frequencies, due to the difficulty of performing such measurements. We therefore employ an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy resonance method using a novel analytical model to determine the material properties of single crystal lithium niobate over the wide frequency range of 100 kHz to 7 MHz for temperatures up to 750 °C. We find that lithium niobate retains its good piezoelectric properties over this entire frequency and temperature range and rules out suspected degradation mechanisms involving ionic conductivity or vacancy diffusion.
Spin valve heterostructures built using the shadowing effect: Setting NiFe and Co magnetization directions for non-collinear couplings
Authors: Krohling A. C. , Bueno T. E. P. , Nascimento V. P. , Larica C. , Krambrock K. , Menzel D. , Litterst F. J. , Passamani E. C.
Published: December 2017

An experimental method was developed to set the magnetization direction in ferromagnetic layers of Si(100)/Cu/NiFe/Cu/Co/IrMn/Cu morphologically modified spin valves. Large uniaxial anisotropies emerged in the NiFe and Co layers due to modifications of their morphologies induced by the shadowing effect that arises from oblique depositions. Therefore, we set the uniaxial anisotropy axes in pre-set directions by controlling the sputtered beam direction relative to the sample reference. We were able to tune the angle between the magnetization directions of the NiFe and Co layers in a continuous interval from 0° to 90° due to the interplay between the Co and NiFe uniaxial anisotropies and the unidirectional anisotropy at the Co/IrMn interface. This type of non-collinear coupling cannot be found in conventional spin valve devices with passive spacers through which the coupling is governed by bilinear and biquadratic couplings. The methodology of preparation proposed here allows an extra control over the magnetism of the spin valves, which can be promising for technological applications.
Random forcing of geostrophic motion in rotating stratified turbulence
Authors: Waite Michael L.
Published: December 2017

Random forcing of geostrophic motion is a common approach in idealized simulations of rotating stratified turbulence. Such forcing represents the injection of energy into large-scale balanced motion, and the resulting breakdown of quasi-geostrophic turbulence into inertia–gravity waves and stratified turbulence can shed light on the turbulent cascade processes of the atmospheric mesoscale. White noise forcing is commonly employed, which excites all frequencies equally, including frequencies much higher than the natural frequencies of large-scale vortices. In this paper, the effects of these high frequencies in the forcing are investigated. Geostrophic motion is randomly forced with red noise over a range of decorrelation time scales τ, from a few time steps to twice the large-scale vortex time scale. It is found that short τ (i.e., nearly white noise) results in about 46% more gravity wave energy than longer τ, despite the fact that waves are not directly forced. We argue that this effect is due to wave–vortex interactions, through which the high frequencies in the forcing are able to excite waves at their natural frequencies. It is concluded that white noise forcing should be avoided, even if it is only applied to the geostrophic motion, when a careful investigation of spontaneous wave generation is needed.
Magnetic charges suppress effects of anisotropy in polycrystalline soft ferromagnetic materials
Authors: Arrott Anthony S. , Williams Conrad M. , Negusse Ezana
Published: December 2017

Micromagnetic simulations of polycrystalline iron washers show that grain boundary charges, ρ = -div M, suppress bad effects of magnetocrystalline anisotropy. A single domain wall divides the washer into two domains with opposite magnetization; M is almost = ± Ms ϕ, where ϕ circulates about the hole in the washer. There is a ripple structure. M tilts back and forth toward the inner and outer surfaces. Magnetic charge densities, σm = n·M, on the surfaces keep M at the surfaces very close to lying in the surfaces. The exchange εx and magnetostatic εd energy densities try to keep M parallel to the surfaces throughout the washer, except at the domain wall. An anisotropy energy in each grain is reduced linearly in the angle of rotation away from the circulating pattern towards the nearest anisotropy axis. Both εx and εd near grain boundaries increase as the square of these angles. Anisotropy wins for small rotations. However, the coefficients of the positive quadratic terms are so much larger than the coefficients of the negative linear terms that the rotations are quite small. If the height of the washer is sufficiently greater than 300 nm, M in the washer no longer acts as it would in a thin film. If 300 nm washers are stacked with a spacing of 4 nm, the ripple structure is not lost. The stacked washers can then be used as the core of a transformer. The most remarkable effect is that starting with M = Ms ϕ everywhere, the reversal of M by the field from a current along the z-axis produces a single domain wall. It is stable even in zero field because the wall has Néel caps that act as springs against the surfaces. The suppression of crystalline anisotropy in polycrystalline iron also occurs for geometries other than the toroid; some might be better for creating transformers.
Coupled macrospins: Mode dynamics in symmetric and asymmetric vertices
Authors: Bang Wonbae , Jungfleisch Matthias B. , Montoncello Federico , Farmer Barry W. , Lapa Pavel N. , Hoffmann Axel , Giovannini Loris , De Long Lance E. , Ketterson John B.
Published: December 2017

We report the microwave response of symmetric and asymmetric threefold clusters with nearly contacting segments that can serve as the node in a Kagome artificial spin ice lattice. The structures are patterned on a coplanar waveguide and consist of elongated and nearly-contacting ellipses with uniform thickness. Branches of the ferromagnetic resonance spectra display mode softening that correlates well with the calculations, whereas agreement between the measured and simulated static magnetization is more qualitative.