bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water‐Soluble Polymers with Strong Photoluminescence through an Eco‐Friendly and Low‐Cost Route
Authors: Guo Zhaoyan , Ru Yue , Song Wenbo , Liu Zhenjie , Zhang Xiaohong , Qiao Jinliang
Published: May 2017

Photoluminescence (PL) of nonconjugated polymers brings a favorable opportunity for low‐cost and nontoxic luminescent materials, while most of them still exhibit relatively weak emission. Strong PL from poly[(maleic anhydride)‐alt‐(vinyl acetate)] (PMV) from low‐cost monomer has been found in organic solvents, yet the necessity of noxious solvents would hinder its practical applications. Herein, through a novel, eco‐friendly, and one‐step route, PMV‐derived PL polymers can be fabricated with the highest quantum yield of 87% among water‐soluble nonconjugated PL polymers ever reported. These PMV‐derived polymers emit strong blue emission in both solutions and solids, and can be transformed into red‐emission agents easily. These PL polymers exhibit application potentials in light‐conversion agricultural films. It is assumed that this work not only puts forward a convenient preparation routine for nonconjugated polymers with high PL, but also provides an industrial application possibility for them.

image
Temperature‐dependent morphology and characteristic parameters of annealed gold nanolayers
Authors: Hsu Ching‐Ling , Juang Ming‐Yu , Lin Pei‐Wen , Liaw Bo‐Rui , Shih Chi‐Tin
Published: May 2017

Gold nanostructures were formed when Au nanolayers were deposited on native‐oxide‐covered Si substrates and annealed. To analyze the annealing temperature dependent surface morphology, we calculated the height–height correlation function and the power spectrum density function from the atomic force microscopy image data. When the annealing temperature for 20 nm thick Au layer increased from 500 to 700 °C, the interface width w and the lateral correlation length ξ of the surface increased obviously from 4.8 to 44.0 nm and from 70.5 to 180.9 nm, respectively. On the other hand, the roughness exponent α was a relatively universal parameter (∼0.87). While the morphology of the surfaces was mainly self‐affine, suggesting that the random surface diffusion plays a dominant role in the kinetic roughening process of such an annealed system, the results of the morphological analysis also imply that the self‐affine surface begins to become mounded for higher annealing temperatures.
TERMITE: An R script for fast reduction of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry data and its application to trace element measurements
Authors: Mischel Simon A. , Mertz‐Kraus Regina , Jochum Klaus Peter , Scholz Denis
Published: May 2017

Rationale

High spatial resolution Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA‐ICPMS) determination of trace element concentrations is of great interest for geological and environmental studies. Data reduction is a very important aspect of LA‐ICP‐MS, and several commercial programs for handling LA‐ICPMS trace element data are available. Each of these software packages has its specific advantages and disadvantages.

Methods

Here we present TERMITE, an R script for the reduction of LA‐ICPMS data, which can reduce both spot and line scan measurements. Several parameters can be adjusted by the user, who does not necessarily need prior knowledge in R. Currently, ten reference materials with different matrices for calibration of LA‐ICPMS data are implemented, and additional reference materials can be added by the user. TERMITE also provides an optional outlier test, and the results are provided graphically (as a pdf file) as well as numerically (as a csv file).

Results

As an example, we apply TERMITE to a speleothem sample and compare the results with those obtained using the commercial software GLITTER. The two programs give similar results. TERMITE is particularly useful for samples that are homogeneous with respect to their major element composition (in particular for the element used as an internal standard) and when many measurements are performed using the same analytical parameters. In this case, data evaluation using TERMITE is much faster than with all other available software, and the concentrations of more than 100 single spot measurements can be calculated in less than a minute.

Conclusions

TERMITE is an open‐source software for the reduction of LA‐ICPMS data, which is particularly useful for the fast, reproducible evaluation of large datasets of samples that are homogeneous with respect to their major element composition. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A DFT Study of the Structures and Photoelectric Properties of Benzodithiophene‐Based Molecules by Replacing Sulfur with a Variety of Heteroatoms (O, N, P, Si, Se)
Authors: Li Shan , Li Yuanzuo , Song Peng , Ma Fengcai , Yang Yanhui
Published: May 2017

The sulfur atoms on TIB were replaced by oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon and selenium atoms to design a serial of new molecules. The bond lengths, dihedral angles, energy levels and energy gaps, ionization potentials, electron affinities, frontier molecular orbitals, absorption and fluorescence spectrums, reorganization energies and charge transfer rates of all molecules were calculated with density functional theory and the time‐dependent density functional theory methods. The results indicated that the structure and photoelectric properties of TIB have obvious changes after atoms substitution. Both sides of the structures of the designed molecules are distorted obviously. The energy levels, energy gaps, ionization potentials and electron affinities, adsorption and fluorescence spectrums, charge transfer and recombination rates of TIB−P and TIB−Si are better than that of other molecules. It is found that proper atoms substitution can effectively improve the photoelectric properties.
Silver‐Catalyzed Biomimetic Transfer Hydrogenation of N‐Heteroaromatics with Hantzsch Esters as NADH Analogues
Authors: Pi Danwei , Zhou Haifeng , Cui Peng , He Renke , Sui Yuebo
Published: May 2017

A silver‐catalyzed biomimetic transfer hydrogenation of N‐heteroaromatics with Hantzsch esters as NADH analogues has been developed. The reaction proceeded smoothly under mild conditions to give the corresponding reductive products in up to 99% yield. The asymmetric version of this reaction was also conducted preliminarily with up to 66% ee.
Solvent‐Free 4 V‐Class All‐Solid‐State Lithium‐Ion Polymer Secondary Batteries
Authors: Seki Shiro
Published: May 2017

To realize high‐safety, large‐scaled energy storage devices, solvent‐free lithium‐ion secondary batteries using polyether‐based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) were fabricated. We fabricated 4 V‐class [LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 positive electrode | SPE | graphite negative electrode] cells after designing suitable SPE / electrode interfaces, for example, by modification of the LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 positive electrode surface and control of the electrochemical reaction area at the graphite negative electrode. The prepared cell showed a reversible capacity of over 120 mAhg−1 (based on the LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 capacity) with favorable cycle properties. The possibility of achieving high‐safety, high‐performance (high voltage operation), low‐cost new battery systems was demonstrated.
Prevalence and Predictors of Low Sexual Desire, Sexually Related Personal Distress, and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Dysfunction in a Community-Based Sample of Midlife Women
Authors: Worsley Roisin , Bell Robin J. , Gartoulla Pragya , Davis Susan R.
Published: May 2017

Background

Low desire is the most common sexual problem in women at midlife. Prevalence data are limited by lack of validated instruments or exclusion of un-partnered or sexually inactive women.

Aim

To document the prevalence of and factors associated with low desire, sexually related personal distress, and hypoactive sexual desire dysfunction (HSDD) using validated instruments.

Methods

Cross-sectional, nationally representative, community-based sample of 2,020 Australian women 40 to 65 years old.

Outcomes

Low desire was defined as a score no higher than 5.0 on the desire domain of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI); sexually related personal distress was defined as a score of at least 11.0 on the Female Sexual Distress Scale–Revised; and HSDD was defined as a combination of these scores. The Menopause Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire was used to document menopausal vasomotor symptoms. The Beck Depression Inventory–II was used to identify moderate to severe depressive symptoms (score ≥ 20).

Results

The prevalence of low desire was 69.3% (95% CI = 67.3–71.3), that of sexually related personal distress was 40.5% (95% CI = 38.4–42.6), and that of HSDD was 32.2% (95% CI = 30.1–34.2). Of women who were not partnered or sexually active, 32.4% (95% CI = 24.4–40.2) reported sexually related personal distress. Factors associated with HSDD in an adjusted logistic regression model included being partnered (odds ratio [OR] = 3.30, 95% CI = 2.46–4.41), consuming alcohol (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.16–1.89), vaginal dryness (OR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.66–2.61), pain during or after intercourse (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.27–2.09), moderate to severe depressive symptoms (OR = 2.69, 95% CI 1.99–3.64), and use of psychotropic medication (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.10–1.83). Vasomotor symptoms were not associated with low desire, sexually related personal distress, or HSDD.

Clinical Implications

Given the high prevalence, clinicians should screen midlife women for HSDD.

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths include the large size and representative nature of the sample and the use of validated tools. Limitations include the requirement to complete a written questionnaire in English. Questions within the FSFI limit the applicability of FSFI total scores, but not desire domain scores, in recently sexually inactive women, women without a partner, and women who do not engage in penetrative intercourse.

Conclusions

Low desire, sexually related personal distress, and HSDD are common in women at midlife, including women who are un-partnered or sexually inactive. Some factors associated with HSDD, such as psychotropic medication use and vaginal dryness, are modifiable or can be treated with safe and effective therapies.
Historical memory and political propaganda in the Russian Federation
Authors: Vázquez-Liñán Miguel
Published: May 2017

This paper explores the hegemonic discourse on historical memory in contemporary Russia, in addition to its political implications. Furthermore, the role played by the Russian media system in the dissemination of the memory discourse endorsed by the Kremlin, and its impact, are also described. The analysis is carried out in a theoretical framework that advocates for the need for delving deeper into the intersections between communication and memory studies.
Clinicians' views on conversations and shared decision making in diagnostic testing for Alzheimer's disease: The ABIDE project
Authors: Kunneman Marleen , Smets Ellen M.A. , Bouwman Femke H. , Schoonenboom Niki S.M. , Zwan Marissa D. , Pel‐Littel Ruth , van der Flier Wiesje M.
Published: May 2017

Introduction

This study explores clinicians' views on and experiences with when, how, and by whom decisions about diagnostic testing for Alzheimer's disease are made and how test results are discussed with patients.

Methods

Following a preparatory focus group with 13 neurologists and geriatricians, we disseminated an online questionnaire among 200 memory clinic clinicians.

Results

Respondents were 95 neurologists and geriatricians (response rate 47.5%). Clinicians (74%) indicated that decisions about testing are made before the first encounter, yet they favored a shared decision‐making approach. Patient involvement seems limited to receiving information. Clinicians with less tolerance for uncertainty preferred a bigger say in decisions (P < .05). Clinicians indicated to always communicate the diagnosis (94%), results of different tests (88%–96%), and risk of developing dementia (66%).

Discussion

Clinicians favor patient involvement in deciding about diagnostic testing, but conversations about decisions and test results can be improved and supported.
The West Bank and International Humanitarian Law on the Eve of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Six-Day War
Authors: Meron Theodor
Published: May 2017

The West Bank and the Settlements, again? Readers may have had enough of this subject. But these are exceptional times. The adoption by the Security Council of Resolution 2334 on December 23, 2016, the unprecedented speech by Secretary Kerry delivered shortly thereafter, and the immediate rejection of both by Prime Minister Netanyahu, combined with the approach of the fiftieth anniversary of the Six-Day War in June 2017 and the continued march toward an inexorable demographic change in the West Bank, not to mention the nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Israel of a person reportedly supporting an active settlement policy and annexation: the confluence of these events demands our renewed attention. And while these developments undoubtedly have powerful political dimensions, they also call upon those of us who care about international law to speak up in support of its requirements and application.
The Missing Argument: The Article that Changed the Course of
History?
Authors: Benvenisti Eyal
Published: May 2017

In July 1967, one month after Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Gaza
Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights, Israel's Military Advocate
General (MAG), Colonel Meir Shamgar, appeared before a Knesset committee to
discuss the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)’s duties in the areas under its
control. Col. Shamgar had led the MAG Corps in the preparations in the event
that a future war would find the army occupying beyond Israel's borders.
Col. Shamgar began his presentation by stating:

In terms of the legal background, our point of departure is that we have
to respect both the fundamental pursuits of the State of Israel as its
military forces begin to control an area that has been liberated by the
IDF, and the rules of public international law that apply to the actions
of any military in control of an area that was, until its entry, subject
to the sovereignty of a foreign political entity.

The guiding rules in this realm are the rules of public international
law, which are reflected in The Hague Regulations of 1907 … and
in the … Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians
in Times of War.
Factors Associated With Parental Consent to use D-Cycloserine for Child Anxiety
Authors: Byrne Simon P. , Rapee Ronald M. , Sweller Naomi
Published: May 2017

This study examined factors influencing parent willingness to use D-Cycloserine (DCS) for treating child anxiety. N = 222 parents were given information about using DCS to treat anxiety. They were then asked to rate their willingness to allow their child to take DCS/antibiotics for mild anxiety, severe anxiety, or an infection. The associations between willingness to use DCS and parental trait anxiety, demographics, as well as specific concerns regarding the medication, were examined. Parents could also provide written responses regarding their attitudes to DCS, which were analysed for themes. Parents reported concerns regarding potential side-effects from DCS. More severe anxiety was associated with more willingness to consent; however, parents were more willing to use antibiotics to treat an infection than DCS to treat their child's anxiety. The degree of perceived benefit from DCS was most strongly associated with parents’ willingness to use it. Overall, parents expressed mixed views, reporting they would consider using DCS to treat their child; however, they had significant concerns about it. Results suggest providing parents with information explaining how DCS works, its risks and potential benefits may increase its acceptability.
Paleocene echinoid faunas of the eastern United States
Authors: Zachos Louis G.
Published: May 2017

Twenty-one species of echinoid are reported from Paleocene rocks of the eastern United States along the outcrop belt from Texas to New Jersey. Six of these are strictly early Paleocene age (Danian), nine strictly late Paleocene age (Thanetian), five range throughout the Paleocene, and one previously reported Paleocene species (Diplodetus moscovensis) is most likely a Cretaceous species. Two new species are described,Salenia palmyran. sp., from the Danian Clayton Formation in Alabama and Georgia, andOva rancocan. sp., from the Thanetian Vincentown Formation in New Jersey. One new species from the Clayton Formation in Mississippi,Arbaciella? sp., is left in open nomenclature.
LYUBEZNIK NUMBERS OF LOCAL RINGS AND LINEAR STRANDS OF GRADED IDEALS
Authors: ÀLVAREZ MONTANER JOSEP , YANAGAWA KOHJI
Published: May 2017

In this work, we introduce a new set of invariants associated to the linear strands of a minimal free resolution of a$\mathbb{Z}$-graded ideal$I\subseteq R=\Bbbk [x_{1},\ldots ,x_{n}]$. We also prove that these invariants satisfy some properties analogous to those of Lyubeznik numbers of local rings. In particular, they satisfy a consecutiveness property that we prove first for the Lyubeznik table. For the case of squarefree monomial ideals, we get more insight into the relation between Lyubeznik numbers and the linear strands of their associated Alexander dual ideals. Finally, we prove that Lyubeznik numbers of Stanley–Reisner rings are not only an algebraic invariant but also a topological invariant, meaning that they depend on the homeomorphic class of the geometric realization of the associated simplicial complex and the characteristic of the base field.
THE FOLIATED LEFSCHETZ HYPERPLANE THEOREM
Authors: MARTÍNEZ TORRES DAVID , DEL PINO ÁLVARO , PRESAS FRANCISCO
Published: May 2017

A foliation$(M,{\mathcal{F}})$is said to be$2$-calibrated if it admits a closed 2-form$\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}$making each leaf symplectic. By using approximately holomorphic techniques, a sequence$W_{k}$of$2$-calibrated submanifolds of codimension-$2$can be found for$(M,{\mathcal{F}},\unicode[STIX]{x1D714})$. Our main result says that the Lefschetz hyperplane theorem holds for the pairs$(F,F\cap W_{k})$, with$F$any leaf of${\mathcal{F}}$. This is applied to draw important consequences on the transverse geometry of such foliations.
“The Only Way Is Up”: Overoptimism and the Demise of the American Five-and-Dime Store, 1914–1941
Authors: Scott Peter , Walker James T.
Published: May 2017

We examine a classic “wheel of retailing” episode: the abandonment of the five-and-dime pricing formula by American variety chains. The variety chains switched from a conventional product lifecycle, focusing on cost reduction through standardization, to a reverse path up the “service cost–unit value” continuum. We show that, rather than reflecting deteriorating managerial acumen, this shift was a response to the continued imperative for growth following retail format saturation. Firm-specific (rather than format-specific) competitive advantages were too weak for any chain to be confident it could win a within-format price war, making interformat competition through raising price points more attractive.
Improving French Competitiveness through American Investment following World War II
Authors: Kuo Laureen
Published: May 2017

Drawing on corporate materials from the Banque de France, this article reveals a fact that is rarely raised in the study of foreign investment in France: among American investment in France, there are many cases in which French companies took the initiative in seeking American investment. Not all French companies were hostile to U.S. enterprises, even during the upsurge of French anti-Americanism, and the French Fifth Republic's restrictive policies toward American investment were not as rigorous as they might have appeared. Their major objective was to increase French competitiveness.
Robert J. Gordon, The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War.
Authors: Cross Gary
Published: May 2017

By now many of you have heard about, considered reading (if not deterred by its 762-page girth), and even dipped into Robert Gordon's The Rise and Fall of American Growth. This tome well deserves the attention that it has received for addressing a burning issue today: economic stagnation and its origins. Taking the long view with both summary statistics of trends in growth between 1870 and the present, but also with an amazing variety of graphs and charts detailing patterns of growth in a wide variety of industries, Gordon chronicles the impact of the second and third industrializations. His oft-repeated argument is simple, that growth was revolutionary in the history of humanity in the century after 1870, resulting from the effects of the second industrialization (launched by electricity and the internal combustion engine especially), and raising living standards in profound but unrepeatable ways. Though he finds the 1920s to 1970 to be most dramatic in growth rates (especially resulting from technology and innovation measured by total factor productivity [TFP]—accounting for growth outside resource inputs), after 1970 that productivity was barely a third of the previous century despite the digitalization of the third industrialization, which contributes only 7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). This lag is especially evident since 2004 with no reasonable prospects for reversal, and the decline in the rate of growth has been accompanied by increasing income inequality with demographic lags and other “headwinds” further threatening growth. The argument is predominately based on technological change, though Gordon recognizes the role of government and even unions (in raising wages) and less often business innovation in advancing growth. Much of the book's reception has been shaped by economists and economic historians addressing this bold claim, and it has been compared with Thomas Piketty's even more ambitious work on the trend toward inequality.
International Business and the Development of British Electrical Manufacturing, 1886–1929
Authors: Fitzgerald Robert
Published: May 2017

British electrical manufacturing provides important insights into international business history and demonstrates the key role of cross-border networks and agreements in its emergence. This article analyzes the factors that shaped phases in the industry's development and international operations. In doing so, the article reappraises electrical manufacturing's early decades in Britain; it shows how a changing political landscape transformed the strategies and ownership of firms, and reevaluates the industry's restructuring during World War I and its immediate aftermath. Further, the article questions accounts of British electrical manufacturing's failure in the 1920s and discusses the return to strategies of cross-border networks and agreements. Finally, it considers the lessons of British electrical manufacturing's emergence and subsequent consolidation, weighing the influences of firm-level, national, and international factors.
Redefining Wartime Chongqing: International capital of a global power in the making, 1938–46
Authors: CHANG VINCENT K. L. , ZHOU YONG
Published: May 2017

This article examines the historical role and legacy of the foreign establishment in China's temporary capital Chongqing during the Chinese War of Resistance against Japan and the Second World War. This extraordinary episode, lasting from 1938 to 1946, ushered in a new era for China's foreign diplomacy and laid the foundation for its rise to world-power status. Placing Chongqing at the very heart of this epochal chapter in modern Chinese history, this article describes the major events, trends, and actors that directly or indirectly were instrumental to China's wartime transformation from a partitioned, de facto colony to a first-rate global power with a permanent seat among the ‘Big Five’. Seventy years after the end of the Second World War, this article presents fresh perspectives on a near-forgotten episode of China's war experience. Moving beyond the traditional typecasting of ‘Chungking’ as a primitive backwater in China's remote hinterland, this article reappraises wartime Chongqing as a major international centre at the spearhead of global change and as an important cradle of the modern power that China is today.
Exploring the health status of older persons in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Audain Keiron , Carr Michelle , Dikmen Derya , Zotor Francis , Ellahi Basma
Published: May 2017

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has traditionally had a low life expectancy due to the onslaught of the HIV epidemic, high levels of chronic diseases, injuries, conflict and undernutrition. Therefore, research into public health concerns of older persons has largely been overlooked. With a growing population, the roll-out of antiretroviral treatment, and the effects of globalisation, SSA is experiencing an increase in the number of people over 50 years of age as well as an increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCD). The aim of this review is to highlight available research on the health status of older persons in SSA, and to identify the current gaps that warrant further investigation. A literature search was conducted across multiple databases to identify studies in SSA on older persons (aged 50 years and older) related to health indicators including nutritional status, NCD and HIV burden. While it was concluded that older persons are at an increased risk of poor health, it was also determined that significant gaps exist in this particular area of research; namely nutrient deficiency prevalence. Resources should be directed towards identifying the health concerns of older persons and developing appropriate interventions.
Production and comprehension of Frenchwh-questions by children with autism spectrum disorder: A comparative study with specific language impairment
Authors: PRÉVOST PHILIPPE , TULLER LAURICE , BARTHEZ MARIE ANNE , MALVY JOËLLE , BONNET-BRILHAULT FRÉDÉRIQUE
Published: May 2017

The nature of structural language difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was explored in a comparative study with specific language impairment (SLI) through investigation of the frequently reported ASD weakness in receptive skills relative to expressive skills. Twenty French-speaking children with ASD aged 6 to 12 were compared to age-matched children with SLI on production and comprehension ofwh-questions. The two groups displayed similar effects of the complexity of the differentwh-strategies. In the ASD group (as in the SLI group), these effects were not greater in comprehension compared to production; moreover, nonverbal ability (which varied from normal to impaired) was not related to language performance. Observed ASD-SLI differences are argued to largely be due to ASD pragmatic deficits, rather than to a qualitative difference in structural language skills.
ORDERING PROPERTIES OF SPACINGS FROM HETEROGENEOUS GEOMETRIC SAMPLES
Authors: Ding Weiyong , Zhang Yiying , Zhao Peng
Published: May 2017

In the reliability context, the geometric distribution is a natural choice to model the lifetimes of some equipment and components when they are measured by the number of completed cycles of operation or strokes, or in case of periodic monitoring of continuous data. This paper aims at investigating how the heterogeneity among the parameters affects some characteristics such as the distribution and hazard rate functions of spacings arising from independent heterogeneous geometric random variables. First, refined representations of the distribution functions are provided for both the second spacing and sample range from heterogeneous geometric sample. Second, stochastic comparisons are carried out on the second spacings and sample ranges for two sets of independent and heterogeneous geometric random variables in the sense of the usual stochastic and hazard rate orderings. The results established here not only fill the gap on the study of stochastic properties of spacings from heterogeneous geometric samples, but also are expected to be applied in the fields of statistics and reliability.
Longitudinal Trajectories of Informant-Reported Daily Functioning in Empirically Defined Subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Thomas Kelsey R. , Edmonds Emily C. , Delano-Wood Lisa , Bondi Mark W.
Published: May 2017

Objectives: Within the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)’s mild cognitive impairment (MCI) cohort, we previously identified MCI subtypes as well as participants initially diagnosed with MCI but found to have normal neuropsychological, biomarker, and neuroimaging profiles. We investigated the functional change over time in these empirically derived MCI subgroups. Methods: ADNI MCI participants (n=654) were classified using cluster analysis as Amnestic MCI (single-domain memory impairment), Dysnomic MCI (memory+language impairments), Dysexecutive/Mixed MCI (memory+language+attention/executive impairments), or Cluster-Derived Normal (CDN). Robust normal control participants (NCs; n=284) were also examined. The Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) was administered at baseline through 48-month follow-up. Multilevel modeling examined FAQ trajectories by cognitive subgroup. Results: The Dysexecutive/Mixed group demonstrated the fastest rate of decline across all groups. Amnestic and Dysnomic groups showed steeper rates of decline than CDNs. While CDNs had more functional difficulty than NCs across visits, both groups’ mean FAQ scores remained below its suggested cutoff at all visits. Conclusions: Results (a) show the importance of executive dysfunction in the context of other impaired cognitive domains when predicting functional decline in at-risk elders, and (b) support our previous work demonstrating that ADNI’s MCI criteria may have resulted in false-positive MCI diagnoses, given the CDN’s better FAQ trajectory than those of the cognitively impaired MCI groups. (JINS, 2017, 23, 521–527)
Dosimetric comparison of photon beam profile characteristics for different treatment parameters
Authors: Shamsi Qurat-ul-ain , Atiq Maria , Atiq Atia , Ahmad Buzdar Saeed , Iqbal Khalid , Iqbal Muhammad Mazhar
Published: May 2017

Purpose

To deliver radiation doses with higher accuracy, radiation treatment through megavoltage photon beams from linear accelerators, is accepted widely for treating malignancies. Before calibrating the linear accelerators, it is essential to make a complete analysis of all photon beam profile parameters. The main objective of this exploration was to investigate the 6 and 15 MV photon beam profile characteristics to improve the accuracy of radiation treatment plans.

Methods

In this exploration, treatment parameters like depth, field size and beam energy were varied to observe their effect on dosimetric characteristics of beam profiles in a water phantom, generated by linear accelerator Varian Clinac.

Results

The results revealed thatDmaxandDmindecreased with increasing depth but increased with increasing field sizes. Both left and right penumbras increased with increasing depth, field size and energy. Homogeneity increased with field size but decreased with depth. Symmetry had no dependence on depth, energy and field size.

Conclusion

All the characteristics of photon beam dosimetry were analysed and the characteristics like homogeneity and symmetry measured by an ion chamber in a water phantom came within clinically acceptable level of 3 and 103%, respectively, thus fulfilled the requirements of standard linear accelerator specifications. This exploration can be extended to the determination of beam profile characteristics of electron and photon beams of other energies at various depths and field sizes for designing optimum treatment plans.
Property institutions and the limits of Coase
Authors: LUECK DEAN
Published: May 2017

Coase's (1960) contractual single-exchange framework is challenged by Arruñada (2017) as a framework that cannot be used to understand the complex nature of property law and related institutions. Arruñada proposes the sequential exchange model as an alternative framework. Differences between the two approaches are considered and some applications in land and natural resources are used to evaluate his critique. These cases support Arruñada's critique of the simple contracting approach to property, showing that for many natural resources private contracting has not been the solution and that a mix of property institutions govern. Contrary to Arruñada, however, I argue that the limits of the single-exchange framework arise not because of sequential exchange, but because assets (parcels of land) are complex and physically connected.
Akademische Selbstkonzepte bei chinesischen Studenten und Studentinnen der Germanistik sowie Schülern und Schülerinnen
Authors: Feng Xiaoli , Wang Jin-Liang , Rost Detlef H.
Published: May 2017

Zusammenfassung. Mit dem acht Items umfassenden deutschsprachigen Differentiellen Schulischen Selbstkonzept Gitter (DISK-Gitter; Rost, Sparfeldt & Schilling, 2007 ) lassen sich mehrere fachspezifisch-akademische Selbstkonzepte simultan und sehr ökonomisch messen. Die Struktur und psychometrischen Kennwerte einer chinesischen Adaptation des DISK-Gitters wurden anhand zweier Studien überprüft (Studie 1, Universitätsstichprobe mit N1 = 601 Studenten und Studentinnen des Studienfachs „Deutsche Sprache“; Selbstkonzepte: Chinesisch, Englisch, Deutsch und Mathematik; Studie 2, Schulstichprobe mit N2 = 441 Mittelschulschülern und Mittelschulschülerinnen; Selbstkonzepte: Chinesisch, Englisch, Geschichte und Politik). Die Fachspezifität akademischer Selbstkonzepte konnte mit explorativen (Studie 1, Teilstichprobe 1A, n1A = 239) und konfirmatorischen (Studie 1, Teilstichprobe 1B, n1B = 367 sowie Studie 2) Dimensionsanalysen bestätigt werden. Die psychometrischen Kennwerte aller Selbstkonzeptskalen waren gut, ihre konvergenten und divergenten Validitäten hinsichtlich der Beziehungen zu Leistungen in einem Deutschtest (Studie 1) und zu fachspezifisch-akademischen Selbstwirksamkeiten (Studie 2) ließen sich belegen.
Blockade of IDO-kynurenine-AhR metabolic circuitry abrogates IFN-γ-induced immunologic dormancy of tumor-repopulating cells
Authors: Liu Yuying , Liang Xiaoyu , Yin Xiaonan , Lv Jiadi , Tang Ke , Ma Jingwei , Ji Tiantian , Zhang Huafeng , Dong Wenqian , Jin Xun , Chen Degao , Li Yanchun , Zhang Songyan , Xie Heidi Q. , Zhao Bin , Zhao Tong , Lu Jinzhi , Hu Zhuo-Wei , Cao Xuetao , Qin F. Xiao-Feng , Huang Bo
Published: May 2017

Interactions with the immune system may lead tumorigenic cells into dormancy. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is poorly understood. Using a 3D fibrin gel model, we show that IFN-γ induces tumour-repopulating cells (TRCs) to enter dormancy through an indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1)-kynurenine (Kyn)-aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-p27 dependent pathway. Mechanistically, IFN-γ signalling triggers differentiated tumour cell apoptosis via STAT1; however, when IDO1 and AhR are highly expressed as in TRCs, IFN-γ results in IDO1/AhR-dependent p27 induction that prevents STAT1 signalling, thus suppressing the process of cell death and activating the dormancy program. Blocking the IDO/AhR metabolic circuitry not only abrogates IFN-γ-induced dormancy but also results in enhanced repression of tumour growth by IFN-γ-induced apoptosis of TRCs bothin vitroandin vivo. These data present a previously unrecognized mechanism of inducing TRC dormancy by IFN-γ, suggesting a potential effective cancer immunotherapeutic modality through the combination of IFN-γ and IDO/AhR inhibitors.
Experimental test of photonic entanglement in accelerated reference frames
Authors: Fink Matthias , Rodriguez-Aramendia Ana , Handsteiner Johannes , Ziarkash Abdul , Steinlechner Fabian , Scheidl Thomas , Fuentes Ivette , Pienaar Jacques , Ralph Timothy C. , Ursin Rupert
Published: May 2017

The unification of the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics is a long-standing challenge in contemporary physics. Experimental techniques in quantum optics have only recently reached the maturity required for the investigation of quantum systems under the influence of non-inertial motion, such as being held at rest in gravitational fields, or subjected to uniform accelerations. Here, we report on experiments in which a genuine quantum state of an entangled photon pair is exposed to a series of different accelerations. We measure an entanglement witness for g-values ranging from 30 mg to up to 30 g—under free-fall as well on a spinning centrifuge—and have thus derived an upper bound on the effects of uniform acceleration on photonic entanglement.
Mutation screening in genes known to be responsible for Retinitis Pigmentosa in 98 Small Han Chinese Families
Authors: Huang Lulin , Zhang Qi , Huang Xin , Qu Chao , Ma Shi , Mao Yao , Yang Jiyun , Li You , Li Yuanfeng , Tan Chang , Zhao Peiquan , Yang Zhenglin
Published: May 2017

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is highly heterogeneous in both clinical and genetic fields. Accurate mutation screening is very beneficial in improving clinical diagnosis and gene-specific treatment of RP patients. The reason for the difficulties in genetic diagnosis of RP is that the ethnic-specific mutation databases that contain both clinical and genetic information are largely insufficient. In this study, we recruited 98 small Han Chinese families clinically diagnosed as RP, including of 22 dominant, 19 recessive, 52 sporadic, and five X-linked. We then used whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis to detect mutations in the genes known for RP in 101 samples from these 98 families. In total, we identified 57 potential pathogenic mutations in 40 of the 98 (41%) families in 22 known RP genes, including 45 novel mutations. We detected mutations in 13 of the 22 (59%) typical autosomal dominant families, 8 of the 19 (42%) typical autosomal recessive families, 16 of the 52 (31%) sporadic small families, and four of the five (80%) X-linked families. Our results extended the mutation spectrum of known RP genes in Han Chinese, thus making a contribution to RP gene diagnosis and the pathogenetic study of RP genes.
A genetic screen in combination with biochemical analysis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae indicates that phenazine-1-carboxylic acid is harmful to vesicular trafficking and autophagy
Authors: Zhu Xiaolong , Zeng Yan , Zhao Xiu , Zou Shenshen , He Ya-Wen , Liang Yongheng
Published: May 2017

The environmentally friendly antibiotic phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) protects plants, mammals and humans effectively against various fungal pathogens. However, the mechanism by which PCA inhibits or kills fungal pathogens is not fully understood. We analyzed the effects of PCA on the growth of two fungal model organisms, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans, and found that PCA inhibited yeast growth in a dose-dependent manner which was inversely dependent on pH. In contrast, the commonly used antibiotic hygromycin B acted in a dose-dependent manner as pH increased. We then screened a yeast mutant library to identify genes whose mutation or deletion conferred resistance or sensitivity to PCA. We isolated 193 PCA-resistant or PCA-sensitive mutants in clusters, including vesicle-trafficking- and autophagy-defective mutants. Further analysis showed that unlike hygromycin B, PCA significantly altered intracellular vesicular trafficking under growth conditions and blocked autophagy under starvation conditions. These results suggest that PCA inhibits or kills pathogenic fungi in a complex way, in part by disrupting vesicular trafficking and autophagy.
Evolution of Drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii After DCD Renal Transplantation
Authors: Jiang Hong , Cao Luxi , Qu Lihui , Qu Tingting , Liu Guangjun , Wang Rending , Li Bingjue , Wang Yuchen , Ying Chaoqun , Chen Miao , Lu Yingying , Feng Shi , Xiao Yonghong , Wang Junwen , Wu Jianyong , Chen Jianghua
Published: May 2017

Infection after renal transplantation remains a major cause of morbidity and death, especially infection from the extensively drug-resistant bacteria, A. baumannii. A total of fourteen A. baumannii isolates were isolated from the donors’ preserved fluid from DCD (donation after cardiac death) renal transplantation and four isolates in the recipients’ draining liquid at the Kidney Disease Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, from March 2013 to November 2014. An outbreak of A. baumannii emerging after DCD renal transplantation was tracked to understand the transmission of the pathogen. PFGE displayed similar DNA patterns between isolates from the same hospital. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests against thirteen antimicrobial agents were determined using the K-B diffusion method and eTest. Whole-genome sequencing was applied to investigate the genetic relationship of the isolates. With the clinical data and research results, we concluded that the A. baumannii isolates 3R1 and 3R2 was probably transmitted from the donor who acquired the bacteria during his stay in the ICU, while isolate 4R1 was transmitted from 3R1 and 3R2 via medical manipulation. This study demonstrated the value of integration of clinical profiles with molecular methods in outbreak investigation and their importance in controlling infection and preventing serious complications after DCD transplantation.
Arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptide-modified extracellular vesicles for active macropinocytosis induction and efficient intracellular delivery
Authors: Nakase Ikuhiko , Noguchi Kosuke , Aoki Ayako , Takatani-Nakase Tomoka , Fujii Ikuo , Futaki Shiroh
Published: May 2017

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) including exosomes have been shown to play crucial roles in cell-to-cell communication because of their ability to carry biofunctional molecules (e.g., microRNAs and enzymes). EVs also have pharmaceutical advantages and are highly anticipated to be a next-generation intracellular delivery tool. Here, we demonstrate an experimental technique that uses arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-modified EVs to induce active macropinocytosis for effective cellular EV uptake. Modification of arginine-rich CPPs on the EV membrane resulted in the activation of the macropinocytosis pathway, and the number of arginine residues in the peptide sequences affected the cellular EV uptake efficiency. Consequently, the ribosome-inactivating protein saporin-encapsulated EVs modified with hexadeca-arginine (R16) peptide effectively attained anti-cancer activity.
Neglect Patients Exhibit Egocentric or Allocentric Neglect for the Same Stimulus Contingent upon Task Demands
Authors: Leyland Louise-Ann , Godwin Hayward J. , Benson Valerie , Liversedge Simon P.
Published: May 2017

Hemispatial Neglect (HN) is a failure to allocate attention to a region of space opposite to where damage has occurred in the brain, usually the left side of space. It is widely documented that there are two types of neglect: egocentric neglect (neglect of information falling on the individual’s left side) and allocentric neglect (neglect of the left side of each object, regardless of the position of that object in relation to the individual). We set out to address whether neglect presentation could be modified from egocentric to allocentric through manipulating the task demands whilst keeping the physical stimulus constant by measuring the eye movement behaviour of a single group of neglect patients engaged in two different tasks (copying and tracing). Eye movements and behavioural data demonstrated that patients exhibited symptoms consistent with egocentric neglect in one task (tracing), and allocentric neglect in another task (copying), suggesting that task requirements may influence the nature of the neglect symptoms produced by the same individual. Different task demands may be able to explain differential neglect symptoms in some individuals.
Cryptic diversity in the Japanese mantis shrimp Oratosquilla oratoria (Crustacea: Squillidae): Allopatric diversification, secondary contact and hybridization
Authors: Cheng Jiao , Sha Zhong-li
Published: May 2017

Mounting evidence of cryptic species in the marine realm emphasizes the necessity to thoroughly revise our current perceptions of marine biodiversity and species distributions. Here, we used mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtDNA COI) and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrDNA ITS) to investigate cryptic diversity and potential hybridization in the Japanese mantis shrimpOratosquilla oratoriain the Northwestern (NW) Pacific. Both mitochondrial and nuclear gene genealogies revealed two cryptic species in this morphotaxon, which was further confirmed by extensive population-level analyses. One cryptic species is restricted to cold waters with a distribution range corresponding to temperate affinities, while the other dwelled warm waters influenced by the Kuroshio Current. Their divergence was postulated to be attributable to the vicariant event which resulted from the isolation of the Sea of Japan during the middle Pliocene (c. 3.85 Mya, 95% HPD 2.23–6.07 Mya). Allopatric speciation was maintained by limited genetic exchange due to their habitat preferences. Furthermore, the observation of recombinant nrDNA ITS sequence and intra-individual ITS polymorphism suggested recent hybridization event of the two cryptic species occurred in sympatric areas. Our study also illustrated that the Changjiang River outflow might act as an oceanic barrier to gene flow and promoted allopatric diversification inO. oratoriaspecies complex.
Midgut bacteria in deltamethrin-resistant, deltamethrin-susceptible, and field-caught populations of Plutella xylostella, and phenomics of the predominant midgut bacterium Enterococcus mundtii
Authors: Li Wenhong , Jin Daochao , Shi Caihua , Li Fengliang
Published: May 2017

Gut bacteria play a significant role in host insect. This study evaluated detail difference of midgut bacteria in deltamethrin-resistant, deltamethrin-susceptible and field-caught populations of diamondback moth, and studied phenomics of the predominant midgut bacteriumEnterococcus mundtii. Cultivable bacteria revealed thatE. mundtiiandCarnobacterium maltaromaticumdominated the bacterial populations from deltamethrin-resistant and deltamethrin-susceptible larval midguts, whereasE.mundtiiwas predominant in field-caught population. Illumina sequencing analysis indicated that 97% of the midgut bacteria were from the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria. Both resistant and susceptible populations had moreEnterococcusandCarnobacterium.Enterococcus, Carnobacterium,Bacillus, andPseudomonaswere predominant in the field-caught population. A phenomics analysis revealed thatE. mundtiiwas able to metabolize 25.26% of the tested carbon sources, 100% of the nitrogen sources, 100% of the phosphorus sources and 97.14% of the sulfur sources, had a wide range of osmolytes and pH conditions, and showed active deaminase activity but no decarboxylase activity. This is the first report regarding different populations of DBM midgut bacteria analyzed using both high-throughput DNA sequencing and cultivation methods, and also first report concerning the phenomics ofE. mundtii. The phenomics ofE. mundtiiprovide a basis for the future study of gut bacteria functions.