bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gram‐scale carbon nanotubes as semiconducting material for highly versatile route of integration in plastic electronics
Authors: Hugot Nathalie , Casademont Hugo , Jouni Mohammad , Hanifi Nassim , Darchy Léa , Azevedo Joël , Derycke Vincent , Simonato Jean‐Pierre , Celle Caroline , Chenevier Pascale
Published: November 2015

A versatile chemical functionalization of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) is developed to eliminate the conductivity of metallic SWNTs in pristine SWNT mixtures, without sorting. Thanks to the high selectivity of the diazoether reagent, metallic SWNTs can be functionalized while preserving the transport properties of semiconducting SWNTs, even in nonindividually dispersed SWNT solutions. In this way, liters of aqueous semiconducting ink for printing or spray can be prepared at the laboratory scale and used for the fabrication of thin‐film transistors (TFT) by spraying. Diazoether grafting also improved SWNT dispersion by preventing rebundling. Consequently, while less conductive than pristine SWNTs, diazoether‐treated SWNTs provided higher TFT transconductance thanks to a more homogeneous percolation in the film. SWNT TFTs made on wafer and plastic with pristine and diazoether‐treated SWNTs were compared. Sprayed films of diazoether treated, unsorted SWNTs provided TFTs with ION/IOFF around 500, about 2 orders of magnitude higher than pristine SWNT TFTs. Mobilities were similar, up to 1 cm2/V s. Interestingly, diazoether‐treated SWNT TFTs kept a high ION/IOFF in a wide range of SWNT density and channel length, where pristine SWNT films became metallic.
Differences in surrogate threshold effect estimates between original and simplified correlation‐based validation approaches
Authors: Schürmann Christoph , Sieben Wiebke
Published: November 2015

Surrogate endpoint validation has been well established by the meta‐analytical correlation‐based approach as outlined in the seminal work of Buyse et al. (Biostatistics, 2000). Surrogacy can be assumed if strong associations on individual and study levels can be demonstrated. Alternatively, if an effect on a true endpoint is to be predicted from a surrogate endpoint in a new study, the surrogate threshold effect (STE, Burzykowski and Buyse, Pharmaceutical Statistics, 2006) can be used. In practice, as individual patient data (IPD) are hard to obtain, some authors use only aggregate data and perform simplified regression analyses. We are interested in to what extent such simplified analyses are biased compared with the ones from a full model with IPD. To this end, we conduct a simulation study with IPD and compute STEs from full and simplified analyses for varying data situations in terms of number of studies, correlations, variances and so on. In the scenarios considered, we show that, for normally distributed patient data, STEs derived from ordinary (weighted) linear regression generally underestimate STEs derived from the original model, whereas meta‐regression often results in overestimation. Therefore, if individual data cannot be obtained, STEs from meta‐regression may be used as conservative alternatives, but ordinary (weighted) linear regression should not be used for surrogate endpoint validation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On graphical tests for proportionality of hazards in two samples
Authors: Sahoo Shyamsundar , Sengupta Debasis
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we present a class of graphical tests of the proportional hazards hypothesis for two‐sample censored survival data. The proposed tests are improvements over some existing tests based on asymptotic confidence bands of certain functions of the estimated cumulative hazard functions. The new methods are based on the comparison of unrestricted estimates of the said functions and their restricted versions under the hypothesis. They combine the rigour of analytical tests with the descriptive value of plots. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the proposed asymptotic procedures have reasonable small sample properties. The power is much higher than existing graphical tests and comparable with existing analytical tests. The method is then illustrated through the analysis of a data set on bone marrow transplantation for Leukemia patients. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Immune modulatory mesenchymal stem cells derived from human embryonic stem cells through a trophoblast-like stage
Authors: Wang Xiaofang , Lazorchak Adam S. , Song Li , Li Enqin , Zhang Zhenwu , Jiang Bin , Xu Ren-He
Published: November 2015

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have great clinical potential in modulating inflammation and promoting tissue repair. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have recently emerged as a potentially superior cell source for MSCs. However, the generation methods reported so far vary greatly in quality and efficiency. Here, we describe a novel method to rapidly and efficiently produce MSCs from hESCs via a trophoblast-like intermediate stage in approximately 11–16 days. We term these cells “T-MSCs” and show that T-MSCs express a phenotype and differentiation potential minimally required to define MSCs. T-MSCs exhibit potent immunomodulatory activity in vitro as they can remarkably inhibit proliferation of cocultured T and B lymphocytes. Unlike bone marrow MSCs, T-MSCs do not have increased expression of inflammatory mediators in response to IFNγ. Moreover, T-MSCs constitutively express a high level of the immune inhibitory ligand PD-L1 and elicit strong and durable efficacy in two distinct animal models of autoimmune disease, dextran sulfate sodium induced colitis, and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, at doses near those approved for clinical trials. Together, we present a simple and fast derivation method to generate MSCs from hESCs, which possess potent immunomodulatory properties in vitro and in vivo and may serve as a novel and ideal candidate for MSC-based therapies.
Effects of Corpus‐Aided Language Learning in the EFL Grammar Classroom: A Case Study of Students' Learning Attitudes and Teachers' Perceptions in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Ming Huei
Published: November 2015

This study employed a blended approach to form an extensive assessment of the pedagogical suitability of data‐driven learning (DDL) in Taiwan's EFL grammar classrooms. On the one hand, the study quantitatively investigated the effects of DDL compared with that of a traditional deductive approach on the learning motivation and self‐efficacy of first‐year college students majoring in English. On the other, it qualitatively examined a group of early‐career teachers' (ECTs') hands‐on experience of teaching DDL to these students. The research results via t‐tests show that only those who received DDL treatment have enhanced learning attitudes in general. No significant differences, however, were found between the effects of these treatments in a multivariate analysis test of covariance. In contrast, qualitative inquiry shows that, despite facing technical difficulties and increased workload, the ECTs found their DDL teaching experience innovative and interesting, believed in its effectiveness in grammar learning, and judged it to transform Taiwanese students' grammar learning patterns from passivity to active engagement. This article concludes with suggestions for future DDL applications and investigation in the EFL grammar classrooms of Taiwan.
Decadal changes in radiative fluxes at land and ocean surfaces and their relevance for global warming
Authors: Wild Martin
Published: November 2015

Anthropogenic interference with climate occurs primarily through modification of radiative fluxes in the climate system. Increasing releases of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere lead to an enhancement of thermal radiation from the atmosphere to the surface by presently about 2 W m−2 per decade, thereby causing global warming. Yet not only thermal radiation undergoes substantial decadal changes at the Earth surface, but also incident solar radiation (SSR), often in line with changes in aerosol emissions. Land‐based observations suggest widespread declines in SSR from 1950s to 1980s (‘global dimming’), a partial recovery (‘brightening’) since mid‐1980s, and indication for an ‘early’ brightening in 1930s and 1940s. No similar extended observational records are available over oceans. However, modeling studies, conceptual frameworks and available satellite‐derived records point to the existence of decadal SSR variations also over oceans. SSR changes overall match with decadal variations in observed warming rates, suggesting that SSR variations may effectively modulate greenhouse gas‐induced warming. Specifically, on the Northern Hemisphere, the lack of warming from 1950s to 1980s and its subsequent acceleration in the 1990s fits to the trend reversal from dimming to brightening and associated changes in air pollution levels. From the 1950s to 1980s no warming was also observed over Northern Hemispheric Oceans, in line with conceptual ideas that subtle aerosol changes in pristine ocean areas, effectively amplified by aerosol–cloud interactions, can substantially alter SSR, thereby modulating Sea Surface Temperatures. On the Southern Hemisphere, the absence of significant aerosol levels fits to the observed stable (greenhouse gas‐induced) warming rates since the 1950s. WIREs Clim Change 2016, 7:91–107. doi: 10.1002/wcc.372

This article is categorized under:

Paleoclimates and Current Trends > Modern Climate Change
Modifications of the cell wall of yeasts grown on hexadecane and under starvation conditions
Authors: Dmitriev Vladimir V. , Crowley David E. , Zvonarev Anton N. , Rusakova Tatiana G. , Negri Maria C. , Kolesnikova Svetlana A.
Published: November 2015

Electron‐microscopic examinations have demonstrated local modifications in the cell wall of the yeast Candida maltosa grown on hexadecane. In our earlier studies, these modified sites, observed in other yeasts grown on oil hydrocarbons, were conventionally called 'canals'. The biochemical and cytochemical studies of C. maltosa have revealed a correlation between the formation of 'canals' and decrease in the amount of cell wall polysaccharides, glucan and mannan. The ultrathin sections and surface replicas have shown that the 'canals' are destroyed by pronase, thus indicating that a significant proportion of their content is represented by proteins. This finding was compatible with our earlier data on the localization of oxidative enzymes in 'canals' and possible participation of the 'canals' in the primary oxidation of hydrocarbons. A completely unexpected and intriguing phenomenon has been the appearance of 'canals' in the yeast C. maltosa under starvation conditions. Unlike the yeasts grown on hexadecane, mannan almost disappears in starving cells, while the quantity of glucan first decreases and then is restored to its initial level. The role of 'canals' in starving cells is as yet unclear; it is assumed that they acquire exoenzymes involved in the utilization of products of cell lysis in the starving population. In the future, 'canals' of starving cells will be studied in connection with their possible participation in apoptosis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Implicit co‐simulation methods: Stability and convergence analysis for solver coupling approaches with algebraic constraints
Authors: Schweizer Bernhard , Li Pu , Lu Daixing
Published: November 2015

The analysis of the numerical stability of co‐simulation methods with algebraic constraints is subject of this manuscript. Three different implicit coupling schemes are investigated. The first method is based on the well‐known Baumgarte stabilization technique. Basis of the second coupling method is a weighted multiplier approach. Within the third method, a classical projection technique is applied. The three methods are discussed for different approximation orders. Concerning the decomposition of the overall system into subsystems, we consider all three possible approaches, i.e. force/force‐, force/displacement‐ and displacement/displacement‐decomposition. The stability analysis of co‐simulation methods with algebraic constraints is inherently related to the definition of a test model. Bearing in mind the stability definition for numerical time integration schemes, i.e. Dahlquist's stability theory based on the linear single‐mass oscillator, a linear two‐mass oscillator is used here for analyzing the stability of co‐simulation methods. The two‐mass co‐simulation test model may be regarded as two Dahlquist equations, coupled by an algebraic constraint equation. By discretizing the co‐simulation test model with a linear co‐simulation approach, a linear system of recurrence equations is obtained. The stability of the recurrence system, which reflects the stability of the underlying coupling method, can simply be determined by an eigenvalue analysis.
The Middling Sort of People
Authors: Barry Jonathan , Brooks Christopher
Published: November 2015

This volume of essays seeks to offer a radical re-evaluation of most of our preconceptions about the early-modern English social order. The majority of people who lived in early-modern England were neither very rich nor very poor, yet a disproportionate amount of historiography has been directed towards precisely these groups. This book intends to define the term 'middle classes' and treat them as active participants of history, rather than as a simple by-product rising and falling according to others' activities.
Controlling the transcription levels of argGH redistributed l-arginine metabolic flux in N-acetylglutamate kinase and ArgR-deregulated Corynebacterium crenatum
Authors: Zhao Qinqin , Luo Yuchang , Dou Wenfang , Zhang Xian , Zhang Xiaomei , Zhang Weiwei , Xu Meijuan , Geng Yan , Rao Zhiming , Xu Zhenghong
Published: November 2015

Corynebacterium crenatum SYPA5-5, an l-arginine high-producer obtained through multiple mutation-screening steps, had been deregulated by the repression of ArgR that inhibits l-arginine biosynthesis at genetic level. Further study indicated that feedback inhibition of SYPA5-5 N-acetylglutamate kinase (CcNAGK) by l-arginine, as another rate-limiting step, could be deregulated by introducing point mutations. Here, we introduced two of the positive mutations (H268N or R209A) of CcNAGK into the chromosome of SYPA5-5, however, resulting in accumulation of large amounts of the intermediates (l-citrulline and l-ornithine) and decreased production of l-arginine. Genetic and enzymatic levels analysis involved in l-arginine biosynthetic pathway of recombinants SYPA5-5-NAGKH268N (H-7) and SYPA5-5-NAGKR209A (R-8) showed that the transcription levels of argGH decreased accompanied with the reduction of argininosuccinate synthase and argininosuccinase activities, respectively, which led to the metabolic obstacle from l-citrulline to l-arginine. Co-expression of argGH with exogenous plasmid in H-7 and R-8 removed this bottleneck and increased l-arginine productivity remarkably. Compared with SYPA5-5, fermentation period of H-7/pDXW-10-argGH (H-7-GH) reduced to 16 h; meanwhile, the l-arginine productivity improved about 63.6 %. Fed-batch fermentation of H-7-GH in 10 L bioreactor produced 389.9 mM l-arginine with the productivity of 5.42 mM h−1. These results indicated that controlling the transcription of argGH was a key factor for regulating the metabolic flux toward l-arginine biosynthesis after deregulating the repression of ArgR and feedback inhibition of CcNAGK, and therefore functioned as another regulatory mode for l-arginine production. Thus, deregulating all these three regulatory modes was a powerful strategy to construct l-arginine high-producing C. crenatum.
Sellar Masses: An Epidemiological Study
Authors: Al-Dahmani Khaled , Mohammad Syed , Imran Fatima , Theriault Chris , Doucette Steve , Zwicker Deborah , Yip Churn-Ern , Clarke David B. , Imran Syed Ali
Published: November 2015

Background: Sellar masses (SM) are mostly benign growths of pituitary or nonpituitary origin that are increasingly encountered in clinical practice. To date, no comprehensive population-based study has reported the epidemiology of SM from North America. Aim: To determine the epidemiology of SM in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Methods: Data from all pituitary-related referrals within the province were prospectively collected in interlinked computerized registries starting in November 2005. We conducted a retrospective analysis on all patients with SM seen within the province between November 2005 and December 2013. Results: A total of 1107 patients were identified, of which 1005 were alive and residing within the province. The mean age at presentation was 44.6±18 years, with an overall female preponderance (62%) and a population prevalence rate of 0.1%. Of patients with SM, 837 (83%) had pituitary adenomas and 168 (17%) had nonpituitary lesions. The relative prevalence and standardized incidence ratio, respectively, of various SM were: nonfunctioning adenomas (38.4%; 2.34), prolactinomas (34.3%; 2.22), Rathke’s cyst (6.5%; 0.5), growth hormone–secreting adenomas (6.5%; 0.3), craniopharyngiomas (4.5%; 0.2), adrenocorticotropic hormone–secreting adenomas (3.8%; 0.2), meningiomas (1.9%), and others (3.9%; 0.21). At presentation, 526 (52.3%) had masses ≥1 cm, 318 (31.6%) at <1 cm, and 11 (1.1%) had functioning pituitary adenomas without discernible tumor, whereas tumor size data were unavailable in 150 (14.9%) patients. The specific pathologies and their most common presenting features were: nonfunctioning adenoma (incidental, headaches, and vision loss), prolactinomas (galactorrhea, menstrual irregularity, and headache), growth hormone–secreting adenomas (enlarging extremities and sweating), adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting adenoma (easy bruising, muscle wasting, and weight gain) and nonpituitary lesions (incidental, headaches, and vision problems). Secondary hormonal deficiencies were common, ranging from 19.6% to 65.7%; secondary hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, and growth hormone deficiencies constituted the majority of these abnormalities. Conclusions: This is the largest North American study to date to assess the epidemiology of SM in a large stable population. Given their significant prevalence in the general population, more studies are needed to evaluate the natural history of these masses and to help allocate appropriate resources for their management.
General Practitioners’ experience of child and adolescent suicidal ideation and behaviour – a survey
Authors: Kolshus E. M. , Kolshus E. H. , Gavin B. , Cullen W. , McNicholas F.
Published: November 2015

Objectives

A major cause of death in Irish men aged 15–24 is suicide and the rates for those aged 15–19 are amongst the highest in Europe. Despite concerns over suicidal ideation or behaviour, little research has been done in the Irish primary care context. We therefore aimed to carry out a study of Irish General Practitioners (GPs)’ experience regarding suicidal ideation or behaviour in children and adolescents.

Methods

The study design was a descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire survey. We randomly selected 480 GPs and invited them to participate via post.

Results

In total, 198 GPs replied, representing a response rate of 41% with a sampling error of ±6.8%. In total, 184 of respondents (93%) saw more than 50 children and adolescent patients annually, however, presentations of suicidal ideation and behaviour were relatively rare, with 36% reporting seeing none, 58% seeing between one and five and 6% seeing more than five such presentations annually. In total, 119 (62%) of GPs reported a willingness to prescribe antidepressants for this age group. In total, 66% of GPs felt this was either ‘always’ or ‘usually’ a difficult patient group to manage, and the single most commonly reported difficulty by GPs was access to services [n=48 (33%)].

Conclusions

GPs reported that their management of children and adolescents with suicidal ideation or behaviour is often difficult. GPs play a key liaison role in the area of child and adolescent mental health, but our results indicate that GPs are also involved in the treatment of this patient group. However, ongoing education was not a priority according to GPs themselves.
Stress, depression, quality of life and salivary cortisol levels in community health agents
Authors: Knuth Berenice Scaletzky , Cocco Rafaela Abreu , Radtke Vinicius Augusto , Medeiros João Ricardo Carvalho , Oses Jean Pierre , Wiener Carolina David , Jansen Karen
Published: November 2015

Objective

To determine the prevalence of and factors associated with depression and stress with perceived quality of life and the salivary cortisol levels in Community Health Agent (CHA).

Materials and Methods

Cross-sectional descriptive study of CHAs in Pelotas-RS, Brazil. Data collection, including sociodemographic information and factors related to work and health. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) II was used to assess depressive symptoms, Inventory of Stress Symptoms Lipp (ISSL) was used for the analysis of stress and the WHOQOL-BREF was used to investigate quality of life. Salivary cortisol was quantified via ELISA test.

Results

The assessments showed that 71.0% are in a state of stress resistance, 30.5% were in the alert state of stress and 32.8% were in the stress state of exhaustion. Depressive episodes (BDI≥12) were observed in 28.2%. The environmental domain had the lowest score for quality of life. We observed significantly higher salivary cortisol levels in CHAs with less than 1 year of service and with the lowest quality of life scores in the environmental subsection.

Conclusion

A high prevalence of stress and depression was observed in this sample of CHAs. In addition, the worst levels of quality of life were identified in the environmental subsection. Cortisol levels corroborate these findings regarding quality of life within the environmental domain and began working less than a year previously.
The effects of different levels of calcium supplementation on the bone mineral status of postpartum lactating Chinese women: a 12-month randomised, double-blinded, controlled trial
Authors: Zhang Zhe-Qing , Chen Yu-Ming , Wang Ruo-Qin , Huang Zhen-Wu , Yang Xiao-Guang , Su Yi-Xiang
Published: November 2015

Increasing dietary Ca intake may prevent the excessive mobilisation of bone mineral in nursing mothers. We aimed to investigate whether higher Ca intake could positively modulate the bone mineral changes in Chinese postpartum lactating women. The study was a 12-month randomised, double-blinded, parallel group trial conducted over 12 months. A total of 150 postpartum women were randomly selected to receive either 40 g of milk powder containing 300 mg of Ca and 5 μg of vitamin D (Low-Ca group) or same milk powder additionally fortified with 300 mg of Ca (Mid-Ca group) or 600 mg of Ca (High-Ca group). Bone mineral density (BMD) for the whole body, the lumbar spine, the total left hip and its sub-regions was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A total of 102 subjects completed the whole trial. The duration of total lactating time was 7·9 (sd 2·8) months on average. The intention-to-treat analysis yielded the following mean percentage changes in BMD for the whole body, the lumbar spine and the total left hip, respectively: −0·93 (sd 1·97), 2·11 (sd 4·90) and −1·60 (sd 2·65) % for the Low-Ca group; −0·56 (sd 1·89), 2·21 (sd 3·77) and −1·43 (sd 2·30) % for the Mid-Ca group; and −0·44 (sd 1·67), 2·32 (sd 4·66) and −0·95 (sd 4·08) % for the High-Ca group. The differences between the groups were not statistically significant (P: 0·5–0·9). The results of the complete case analysis were similar. In sum, we found no significant differences in the bone mineral changes from baseline to 12 months in postpartum lactating women consuming milk powder fortified with different levels of Ca.
Intake of dietary antioxidants is inversely associated with biomarkers of oxidative stress among men with prostate cancer
Authors: Vance Terrence M. , Azabdaftari Gissou , Pop Elena A. , Lee Sang Gil , Su L. Joseph , Fontham Elizabeth T. H. , Bensen Jeannette T. , Steck Susan E. , Arab Lenore , Mohler James L. , Chen Ming-Hui , Koo Sung I. , Chun Ock K.
Published: November 2015

Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men in the USA. Growing evidence suggests that oxidative stress is involved in the development and progression of prostate cancer. In this study, the association between antioxidants from diet and supplements and biomarkers of oxidative stress in blood (n 278), urine (n 298) and prostate tissue (n 55) were determined among men from the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project. The association between antioxidant intake and oxidative stress biomarkers in blood and urine was determined using linear regression, adjusting for age, race, prostate cancer aggressiveness and smoking status. Greater antioxidant intake was found to be associated with lower urinary 8-isoprostane concentrations, with a 10 % increase in antioxidant intake corresponding to an unadjusted 1·1 % decrease in urinary 8-isoprostane levels (95 % CI −1·7, −0·3 %; P value<0·01) and an adjusted 0·6 % decrease (95 % CI −1·4, 0·2 %; P value=0·16). In benign prostate tissue, thioredoxin 1 was inversely associated with antioxidant intake (P=0·02). No significant associations were found for other blood or urinary biomarkers or for malignant prostate tissue. These results indicate that antioxidant intake may be associated with less oxidative stress among men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Bronchoscopy in panendoscopy: review and assessment
Authors: Shahangian A , Damrose E J
Published: November 2015

Objective:

To determine the utility of bronchoscopy to identify synchronous primaries in head and neck cancer patients.

Study design:

Case series with chart review.

Method:

The charts of all patients undergoing bronchoscopy between January 2008 and December 2013 were reviewed. Only those undergoing bronchoscopy as part of panendoscopy for head and neck cancer were included. Operative reports, pathology reports and discharge summaries were reviewed for operative findings, complications and length of hospital stay.

Results:

A total of 404 charts were reviewed and 168 were included in the study. No synchronous primaries were identified. Bronchoscopy changed clinical management in one patient. There were no complications from bronchoscopy.

Conclusion:

Bronchoscopy is a safe and well-tolerated procedure commonly performed in the investigation of head and neck cancer patients, but it adds little additional useful clinical information. Routine performance of bronchoscopy in this setting should be weighed against its added costs, and tailored to the individual patient.
Symmetrical objects in Moro: Challenges and solutions
Authors: ACKERMAN FARRELL , MALOUF ROBERT , MOORE JOHN
Published: November 2015

This paper examines the syntactic and semantic behavior of object arguments in Moro, a Kordofanian language spoken in central Sudan. In particular, we focus on multiple object constructions (ditransitives, applicatives, and causatives) and show that these objects exhibit symmetrical syntactic behavior; e.g., any object can passivize or be realized as an object marker, and all can do so simultaneously. Moreover, we demonstrate that each object can bear any of the non-agentive roles in a verb’s semantic role inventory and that the resulting ambiguities are an entailment of symmetrical object constructions of the type found in Moro. Previous treatments of symmetrical languages have assumed a syntactic asymmetry between multiple objects and have developed theoretical analyses that treat symmetrical behaviors as departures from an asymmetrical basic organization of clausal syntax. We take a different approach: we develop a Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar account that allows a partial ordering of the argument structure (arg-st) list. The guiding idea is that languages differ with respect to the organization of theirarg-stlists and their consequences for grammatical function realization: there is no privileged encoding, but there is large variation within the parameters defined byarg-storganization. This accounts directly for the symmetrical behaviors of multiple objects. We also show how this approach can be extended to account for certain asymmetrical behaviors in Moro.
Molecular studies reveal a new species of Bryoria in Chile
Authors: Boluda Carlos G. , Divakar Pradeep K. , Hawksworth David L. , Villagra Johana , Rico Víctor J.
Published: November 2015

Bryoria araucana sp. nov. is described from Chile on the basis of morphological, chemical and molecular data. It has a grey to dark greyish brown pendent thallus with the base usually black, branching angles mainly obtuse, terminal branches with few lateral branchlets acutely inserted, fumarprotocetraric acid, and often protocetraric and confumarprotocetraric acids. It is morphologically similar to the Northern Hemisphere B. trichodes, but lacks soralia and has inconspicuous concolorous or slightly darker pseudocyphellae. Bryoria glabra is also reported for the first time from the Southern Hemisphere. New phylogenetic data based on ITS, mtSSU and MCM7 analyses suggest that Bryoria sect. Bryoria is polyphyletic and needs revision.
New lichenicolous fungi growing on Cladia in New Zealand
Authors: Zhurbenko Mikhail P. , Pino-Bodas Raquel
Published: November 2015

The lichenicolous fungi Endococcus cladiae Zhurb. & Pino-Bodas, Lichenopeltella soiliae Zhurb. & Pino-Bodas and Lichenosticta hoegnabbae Zhurb. & Pino-Bodas are described as new to science from New Zealand growing on podetia of Cladia species. In addition to their host selection, Endococcus cladiae is distinguished by its ascospore size, (9·9–)11·5–14·1(–15·7) × (2·7–)3·1–3·9(–4·6) μm, Lichenopeltella soiliae by ascomata without ostiolar setae and production of 4-spored asci and 1-septate ascospore, occasionally with three pairs of setulae, and Lichenosticta hoegnabbae by comparatively long, bacilliform to fusiform conidia, (7·8–)9·1–10·9(–12·6) × (1·9–)2·1–2·3(–2·7) μm. Niesslia cladoniicola is reported for the first time from Australasia on C. aggregata in New Zealand. A key to the lichenicolous fungi growing on Cladia is provided.
Tremella cetrariellae(Tremellales, Basidiomycota, Fungi), a new lichenicolous fungus onCetrariella delisei
Authors: Millanes A. M. , Diederich P. , Westberg M. , Pippola E. , Wedin M.
Published: November 2015

Tremella cetrariicolais shown to be heterogeneous and to represent two phylogenetic sister species, which are shown here to be distinct in the morphology of the galls, basidia and basidiospores, and in their host selection.Tremella cetrariicolas. str. is confined toTuckermannopsis, whilst the material onCetrariella deliseiis described here as the newTremella cetrariellae. The new species is known from Finland, Greenland, Norway, Russia, Svalbard, and Sweden.
Ultrastructure and molecular phylogeny of Pleistophora hyphessobryconis (Microsporidia) infecting hybrid jundiara (Leiarius marmoratus × Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum) in a Brazilian aquaculture facility
Authors: WINTERS ANDREW D. , LANGOHR INGEBORG M. , SOUZA MARCOS DE A. , COLODEL EDSON M. , SOARES MAURO P. , FAISAL MOHAMED
Published: November 2015

A microsporidian infecting the skeletal muscle of hybrid jundiara (Leiarius marmoratus × Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum) in a commercial aquaculture facility in Brazil is described. Affected fish exhibited massive infections in the skeletal muscle that were characterized by large opaque foci throughout the affected fillets. Histologically, skeletal muscle was replaced by inflammatory cells and masses of microsporidial developmental stages. Generally pyriform spores had a wrinkled bi-layer spore wall and measured 4·0 × 6·0 µm. Multinucleate meronts surrounded by a simple plasma membrane were observed. The polar filament had an external membrane and a central electron dense mass. The development of sporoblasts within a sporophorous vesicle appeared synchronized. Ultrastructural observations and molecular analysis of 16S rDNA sequences revealed that the microsporidian was Pleistophora hyphessobryconis. This study is the first report of a P. hyphessobryconis infection in a non-ornamental fish.
FatalTheileria orientalisN2 genotype infection among Asian water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in a commercial dairy farm in Kerala, India
Authors: VINODKUMAR KULANGARA , SHYMA VARIKKOTTIL , JUSTIN DAVIS KOLLANNUR , ASHOK SIVASAILAM , ANU JOSEPH PARASSERY , MINI KATTILVEETIL , MUHAMMEDKUTTY VARIKKOTTIL , SASIDHARAN SUCHITHRA , CHULLIPPARAMBIL SUNANDA
Published: November 2015

Fifteen dairy buffaloes of a farm in the state of Kerala, India developed fatal oriental theileriosis within 2 months of their procurement. Typical piroplasms ofTheileria orientaliswere observed in the erythrocytes of all affected animals by Giemsa–Leishman staining of blood smears. Case fatality rate was 87·5% (seven out of eight) in the clinically progressed cases. Therapeutic management with anti-theilerial drugs buparvaquone and oxytetracycline led to recovery of seven other animals in less advanced stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the reasons for increased virulence of this pathogen, hitherto considered to be benign. Acute haemolytic anaemia was the predominant haematological finding in the affected animals. Lymphocytic infiltration and degeneration of vital organs leading to functional derangement was the cause of the high mortality. Identification ofT. orientaliswas confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DNA sequencing of the PCR products revealed close identity with already reported sequences ofT. orientalis/buffeliN2 genotype. The sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession number KM609973 and KM043772.Rhipicephalusticks, previously not reported as vectors for oriental theileriosis, were identified as the potential vectors. This is the first report of fatal oriental theileriosis in Asian water buffaloes.
Horizontal path following for underactuated AUV based on dynamic circle guidance
Authors: Xinjing Huang , Yibo Li , Fei Du , Shijiu Jin
Published: November 2015

A 2D path following control method for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) based on dynamic circle heading modification (DCHM) is presented. The method makes a dynamic auxiliary circle, whose radius depends on the cross-track error e, to intersect the desired path to get a new expected path point, and then determines a modified expected heading for the AUV. The guidance function is achieved by a direct mapping between e and the heading modification value Ψm. Several cases are tested in order to demonstrate the performance of the guidance and control method based on DCHMs for a real AUV. Results show that methods using a convex mapping function between e and Ψm based on our new idea can easily achieve a better convergence of path following, and reduce the error between the actual and desired heading angles. We can also customize a discretionary mapping between e and Ψm to get better path following performance.
Errors in the use of English in the Japanese linguistic landscape
Authors: Barrs Keith
Published: November 2015

Foreign words which have been borrowed into the Japanese language, especially in the last few centuries, are commonly labelled as 外来語, gairaigo, meaning words (語, go) coming in (来, rai) from outside (外, gai). This umbrella term encompasses lexical items from numerous foreign languages, including Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Korean, German, and English. As they undergo the borrowing process into the Japanese linguistic system, the words are likely to undergo modification, particularly in terms of their phonology, orthography, semantics, and syntax. The overwhelming majority of gairaigo have their roots in the English language; estimates put their number at around 10% of the Japanese lexicon (Daulton, 2008; Stanlaw, 2004). They include borrowings in the daily Japanese vocabulary (ニュース, nyūsu, news); ones used primarily in specialist fields, (コーパス, kōpasu, corpus), and others recorded in dictionaries but that play very little part in actual language usage (インディビデュアル, indibijyuaru, individual).
From AAC to Zulu
Authors: Marks Jonathan
Published: November 2015

Affix hopping: a new Olympic discipline or innovative brewing technique? Anglo Frisian brightening: a meteorological phenomenon occurring over the North Sea? Cranberry morph: a result of genetically-modified gardening? Well, no, as it turns out. This Dictionary ‘provides concise and clear definitions of all the terms any undergraduate or graduate student is likely to encounter in the study of linguistics and English language or in other degrees involving linguistics, such as modern languages, media studies and translation.’ It has approximately 3000 entries. In some cases, there is more than one definition of a term, e.g. three for ‘declarative’, five for ‘domain’ and three for ‘ergative’ (one of these ‘condemned by some linguists’). Many entries include examples from English and other languages; among the other languages, Russian (transliterated) and Turkish are particularly well represented - some might say over-represented. As well as terminology entries, there are entries for 246 languages, and for key figures in the history of linguistics such as Jespersen, Labov, Sapir etc.
L1 INFLUENCE ON THE ACQUISITION ORDER OF ENGLISH GRAMMATICAL MORPHEMES
Authors: Murakami Akira , Alexopoulou Theodora
Published: November 2015

We revisit morpheme studies to evaluate the long-standing claim for a universal order of acquisition. We investigate the L2 acquisition order of six English grammatical morphemes by learners from seven L1 groups across five proficiency levels. Data are drawn from approximately 10,000 written exam scripts from the Cambridge Learner Corpus. The study establishes clear L1 influence on the absolute accuracy of morphemes and their acquisition order, therefore challenging the widely held view that there is a universal order of acquisition of L2 morphemes. Moreover, we find that L1 influence is morpheme specific, with morphemes encoding language-specific concepts most vulnerable to L1 influence.
Tracing sources ofListeriacontamination in traditional Italian cheese associated with a US outbreak: investigations in Italy
Authors: ACCIARI V. A. , IANNETTI L. , GATTUSO A. , SONNESSA M. , SCAVIA G. , MONTAGNA C. , ADDANTE N. , TORRESI M. , ZOCCHI L. , SCATTOLINI S. , CENTORAME P. , MARFOGLIA C. , PRENCIPE V. A. , GIANFRANCESCHI M. V.
Published: November 2015

In 2012 a US multistate outbreak of listeriosis was linked to ricotta salata imported from Italy, made from pasteurized sheep's milk. Sampling activities were conducted in Italy to trace the source ofListeria monocytogenescontamination. The cheese that caused the outbreak was produced in a plant in Apulia that processed semi-finished cheeses supplied by five plants in Sardinia. During an ‘emergency sampling’, 179 (23·6%) out of 758 end-products tested positive forL. monocytogenes, with concentrations from <10 c.f.u./g to 1·1 × 106c.f.u./g. Positive processing environment samples were found in two out of four processing plants. A ‘follow-up sampling’ was conducted 8 months later, when environmental samples from three out of six plants tested positive forL. monocytogenesand forListeriaspp. PFGE subtyping showed 100% similarity between US clinical strains and isolates from ricotta salata, confirming the origin of the outbreak. The persistence of strains in environmental niches of processing plants was demonstrated, and is probably the cause of product contamination. Two PFGE profiles from clinical cases of listeriosis in Italy in 2011, stored in the MSS-TESSy database, were found to have 100% similarity to one PFGE profile from a US clinical case associated with the consumption of ricotta salata, according to the US epidemiological investigation (sample C, pulsotype 17). However, they had 87% similarity to the only PFGE profile found both in the US clinical case and in 14 ricotta cheese samples collected during the emergency sampling (sample B, pulsotype 1). Sharing of molecular data and availability of common characterization protocols were key elements that connected the detection of the US outbreak to the investigation of the food source in Italy. Simultaneous surveillance systems at both food and human levels are a necessity for the efficient rapid discovery of the source of an outbreak ofL. monocytogenes.
GlyRα2, not GlyRα3, modulates the receptive field surround of OFF retinal ganglion cells
Authors: ZHANG CHI , NOBLES REGINA D. , McCALL MAUREEN A.
Published: November 2015

Receptive fields (RFs) of most retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) consist of an excitatory center and suppressive surround. The RF center arises from the summation of excitatory bipolar cell glutamatergic inputs, whereas the surround arises from lateral inhibitory inputs. In the retina, both gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) and glycine are inhibitory neurotransmitters. A clear role for GABAergic inhibition modulating the RGC RF surround has been demonstrated across species. Glycinergic inhibition is more commonly associated with RF center modulation, although there is some evidence that it may contribute to the RF surround. The synaptic glycinergic chloride channels are formed by three homomeric β and two homomeric α subunits that can be glycine receptor (GlyR) α1, α2, α3, or α4. GlyRα composition is responsible for currents with distinct decay kinetics. Their expression within the inner plexiform laminae and neuronal subtypes also differ. We studied the role of GlyR subunit selective modulation of RGC RF surrounds, using mice lacking GlyRα2 (Glra2−/−), GlyRα3 (Glra3−/−), or both (Glra2/3−/−). We chose this molecular genetic approach instead of pharmacological manipulation because there are no subunit selective antagonists and strychnine blocks all GlyRs. Comparisons of annulus-evoked responses among wild type (WT) and GlyRα knockouts (Glra2−/−, Glra3−/− and Glra2/3−/−) show that GlyRα2 inhibition enhances RF surround suppression and post-stimulus excitation in only WT OFF RGCs. Similarities in the responses in Glra2−/− and Glra2/3−/− RGCs verify these conclusions. Based on previous and current data, we propose that GlyRα2-mediated input uses a crossover inhibitory circuit. Further, we suggest that GlyRα2 modulates the OFF RGC RF center and surround independently. In summary, our results define a selective GlyR subunit-specific control of RF surround suppression in OFF RGCs.
Abnormal heart rate recovery and deficient chronotropic response after submaximal exercise in young Marfan syndrome patients
Authors: Peres Paulo , Carvalho Antônio C. , Perez Ana Beatriz A. , Medeiros Wladimir M.
Published: November 2015

Background

Marfan syndrome patients present important cardiac structural changes, ventricular dysfunction, and electrocardiographic changes. An abnormal heart rate response during or after exercise is an independent predictor of mortality and autonomic dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to compare heart rate recovery and chronotropic response obtained by cardiac reserve in patients with Marfan syndrome subjected to submaximal exercise.

Methods

A total of 12 patients on β-blocker therapy and 13 off β-blocker therapy were compared with 12 healthy controls. They were subjected to submaximal exercise with lactate measurements. The heart rate recovery was obtained in the first minute of recovery and corrected for cardiac reserve and peak lactate concentration.

Results

Peak heart rate (141±16 versus 155±17 versus 174±8 bpm; p=0.001), heart rate reserve (58.7±9.4 versus 67.6±14.3 versus 82.6±4.8 bpm; p=0.001), heart rate recovery (22±6 versus 22±8 versus 34±9 bpm; p=0.001), and heart rate recovery/lactate (3±1 versus 3±1 versus 5±1 bpm/mmol/L; p=0.003) were different between Marfan groups and controls, respectively. All the patients with Marfan syndrome had heart rate recovery values below the mean observed in the control group. The absolute values of heart rate recovery were strongly correlated with the heart rate reserve (r=0.76; p=0.001).

Conclusion

Marfan syndrome patients have reduced heart rate recovery and chronotropic deficit after submaximal exercise, and the chronotropic deficit is a strong determinant of heart rate recovery. These changes are suggestive of autonomic dysfunction.
On critical approaches, unintended consequences and the data of everyday life in ‘performing towns’
Authors: Fleisher Jeffrey
Published: November 2015

I welcome Axel Christophersen's effort to offer a new approach to the study of Scandinavian medieval urban communities, and his outline of an ‘urban archaeology of social practice’. His presentation of a theoretical framework and language offers many insights as to how archaeologists can analyse the way people constructed their social lives through practice. It is exciting to see studies that grapple with the complexities of everyday life in urban settings. This article makes a significant contribution in its explicit approach to a theory of practice that archaeologists can use to explore and describe social change. Christophersen draws heavily on the work of Shove, Pantzar and Watson as detailed in their 2012 bookThe dynamics of social practice. Everyday life and how it changes; I was unfamiliar with this work until reading this essay and I am impressed with the way this framework offers a language and a concrete approach to understanding how practices emerge, evolve and disappear. My goal here is not to revisit the details of this argument, but rather to push on some select issues raised in the paper. I first discuss the way that Christophersen frames his arguments against a processual archaeological approach, suggesting that his effort to provide an alternative might be unintentionally minimizing a more critical approach to everyday life. Next, I discuss the role and place of unintended consequences in Christophersen's argument. And finally I examine the way that Christophersen's approach might be more fully operationalized with data, providing some examples from my own work in eastern Africa.
Towns and cities. A commentary on ‘performing towns’
Authors: Smith Monica L.
Published: November 2015

In this paper, Axel Christophersen does three important things. First, he addresses the way in which the inhabitants of premodern cities created an urban ethos through their cumulative daily actions. Second, he provides the opportunity to address a long-standing definitional challenge in the study of cities by examining what it means to undergo a process of ‘urbanization’. Finally, he focuses our attention on medieval Scandinavia as a region that has had a considerable amount of archaeological research but with which many readers may not be familiar compared to other historical periods in Europe.
On complementarity of practice, scale and structure. Scalar aspects of social/material space in Anatolian peri-urban contexts in antiquity
Authors: Wandsnider LuAnn
Published: November 2015

In his illuminating article, Christophersen rethinks concepts in and approaches to the archaeological study of urban living, focusing especially on medieval urban towns in Scandinavia. He recruits various concepts – interaction, event, leakage and creativity – from a materially imbued social-practice theory to explore the urban landscapes as a complex of dynamic social spaces. Christophersen draws from scholars (Hodder 2012; Reckwitz 2002; Schatzki 1996; Shove, Pantzar and Watson 2012) who emphasize that practice is routinized behaviour through which actions and events are performed, that practices are tied to a place and timescape, that social actors live with and interact with materials, and that materials may be the media of interaction with others. Following Hodder (2012), he emphasizes that the nature and quality of social and material relationships lead to the formation and stabilization of practices. In turn, this practice constitutes the town or city.