bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Landscape‐scale fuel treatment and wildfire impacts on carbon stocks and fire hazard in California spotted owl habitat
Authors: Chiono Lindsay A. , Fry Danny L. , Collins Brandon M. , Chatfield Andrea H. , Stephens Scott L.
Published: January 2017

Forest managers are challenged with meeting numerous demands that often include wildlife habitat and carbon (C) sequestration. We used a probabilistic framework of wildfire occurrence to (1) estimate the potential for fuel treatments to reduce fire risk and hazard across the landscape and within protected California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) habitat and (2) evaluate the consequences of treatments with respect to terrestrial C stocks and burning emissions. Silvicultural and prescribed fire treatments were simulated on 20% of a northern Sierra Nevada landscape in three treatment scenarios that varied in the land area eligible for treatment. Treatment prescriptions varied with topography, vegetation characteristics, and ownership. We then simulated many wildfires in the treated and untreated landscapes. Additional simulations allowed us to consider the influence of wildfire size on estimated emissions. Treatments constrained to the land area outside of spotted owl activity centers reduced the probability of burning and potential fire intensity within owl habitat and across the landscape relative to no‐treatment scenarios. Allowing treatment of the activity centers achieved even greater fire hazard reductions within the activity centers. Treatments also reduced estimated wildfire emissions of C by 45–61%. However, emissions from prescribed burning exceeded simulated reductions in wildfire emissions. Consequently, all treatment scenarios resulted in higher C emissions than the no‐treatment scenarios. Further, for wildfires of moderate size (714–2133 ha), the treatment scenarios reduced the C contained in live tree biomass following simulated wildfire. When large wildfires (8070–10,757 ha) were simulated, however, the treatment scenario retained more live tree C than the no‐treatment scenario. Our approach, which estimated terrestrial C immediately following wildfire, did not account for long‐term C dynamics, such as emissions associated with post‐wildfire decay, C sequestration by future forest growth, or longer‐term C sequestration in structural wood products. While simulated landscape fuel treatments in the present study reduced the risk of uncharacteristically severe wildfire across the landscape and within protected habitat, the C costs of treatment generally exceeded the C benefits.
Pain‐evoked trunk muscle activity changes during fatigue and DOMS
Authors: Larsen L.H. , Hirata R.P. , Graven‐Nielsen T.
Published: January 2017

Background

Muscle pain may reorganize trunk muscle activity but interactions with exercise‐related muscle fatigue and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is to be clarified.

Methods

In 19 healthy participants, the trunk muscle activity during 20 multi‐directional unpredictable surface perturbations were recorded after bilateral isotonic saline injections (control) and during unilateral and bilateral hypertonic saline‐induced low back pain (LBP) in conditions of back muscle fatigue (Day‐1) and DOMS (Day‐2). Pain intensity and distribution were assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and pain drawings. The degree of fatigue and DOMS were assessed by Likert scale scores. Root‐mean‐square electromyographic (RMS‐EMG) signals were recorded post‐perturbation from six bilateral trunk muscles and the difference from baseline conditions (Delta‐RMS‐EMG) was extracted and averaged across abdominal and back muscles.

Results

In DOMS, peak VAS scores were higher during bilateral control and bilateral saline‐induced pain than fatigue (p < 0.001) and during bilateral compared with unilateral pain (p < 0.001). The saline‐induced pain areas were larger during DOMS than fatigue (p < 0.01). In response to surface perturbations during fatigue and DOMS, the back muscle Delta‐RMS‐EMG increased during bilateral compared with unilateral pain and control injections (p < 0.001) and decreased during unilateral pain compared with control injections (p < 0.04). In DOMS compared with fatigue, the post‐perturbation Delta‐RMS‐EMG in back muscles was higher during bilateral pain and lower during unilateral pain (p < 0.001). The abdominal Delta‐RMS‐EMG was not significantly affected.

Conclusion

Facilitated and attenuated back muscle responses to surface perturbations in bilateral and unilateral LBP, respectively, was more expressed during exercise‐induced back muscle soreness compared with fatigue.

Significance

Back muscle activity decreased during unilateral and increased during bilateral pain after unpredictable surface perturbations during muscle fatigue and DOMS. Accumulation effects of DOMS on pain intensity and spreading and trunk muscle activity after pain‐induction.
Shake table tests on standard and innovative temporary partition walls
Authors: Petrone Crescenzo , Magliulo Gennaro , Manfredi Gaetano
Published: January 2017

Shake table tests are performed on temporary internal partitions for office buildings. Four different specimens are tested. A steel frame is designed to exhibit relative displacements which typically occur at a given story of ordinary buildings. Four different partition walls are tested simultaneously for each specimen typology. This allows investigating the influence of an innovative device on the seismic performance of the tested components. The innovative device avoids the unhooking of the panels from the supporting studs. Several shake table tests are performed subjecting the specimens to interstory drift ratios up to 1.57%. Both the hysteretic curves and the natural frequency trend highlight that the partitions do not contribute to the lateral stiffness of the test setup. The damping ratio increases after the partition walls are installed within the test frame, causing a beneficial effect in the dynamic response. Minor damage state occurs for interstory drift ratio (IDR) in the range 0.41–0.65% in standard specimens, whereas moderate and major damage states are attained for IDR in the range 0.51–0.95%. Significant increase of collapse IDR is recorded with the introduction of the innovative device, up to IDR larger than 1.45%. It can be therefore concluded that a simple innovative device is defined, which significantly improves the seismic performance of the tested specimen. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exosomal biomarkers of brain insulin resistance associated with regional atrophy in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Mullins Roger J. , Mustapic Maja , Goetzl Edward J. , Kapogiannis Dimitrios
Published: January 2017

Brain insulin resistance (IR), which depends on insulin‐receptor‐substrate‐1 (IRS‐1) phosphorylation, is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previously, we demonstrated higher pSer312‐IRS‐1 (ineffective insulin signaling) and lower p‐panTyr‐IRS‐1 (effective insulin signaling) in neural origin‐enriched plasma exosomes of AD patients vs. controls. Here, we hypothesized that these exosomal biomarkers associate with brain atrophy in AD. We studied 24 subjects with biomarker‐supported probable AD (low CSF Aβ42). Exosomes were isolated from plasma, enriched for neural origin using immunoprecipitation for L1CAM, and measured for pSer312‐ and p‐panTyr‐IRS‐1 phosphotypes. MPRAGE images were segmented by brain tissue type and voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) analysis for gray matter against pSer312‐ and p‐panTyr‐IRS‐1 was conducted. Given the regionally variable brain expression of IRS‐1, we used the Allen Brain Atlas to make spatial comparisons between VBM results and IRS‐1 expression. Brain volume was positively associated with P‐panTyr‐IRS‐1 and negatively associated with pSer312‐IRS‐1 in a strikingly similar regional pattern (bilateral parietal‐occipital junction, R middle temporal gyrus). This volumetric association pattern was spatially correlated with Allen Human Brain atlas normal brain IRS‐1 expression. Exosomal biomarkers of brain IR are thus associated with atrophy in AD as could be expected by their pathophysiological roles and do so in a pattern that reflects regional IRS‐1 expression. Furthermore, neural‐origin plasma exosomes may recover molecular signals from specific brain regions. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1933–1940, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stream phosphorus dynamics of minimally impacted coastal plain watersheds
Authors: Hensley Robert T. , McLaughlin Daniel L. , Cohen Matthew J. , Decker Paul H.
Published: January 2017

Understanding natural variation in stream phosphorus (P) concentrations over space and time is critical for understanding natural drivers of catchment behavior and establishing regulatory standards. Across minimally impacted benchmark streams (n = 81) in Florida, spatial variation in mean total P concentrations was large, indicating the importance of geologic controls on catchment solute dynamics. While this variation was significantly predicted by geographic regions, within regions we observed nearly comparable cross‐site variation, suggesting important finer‐scale heterogeneity in baseline catchment chemistry. Within‐site residual variation (unexplained by region or site) was as large as spatial variation, suggesting temporal variation in response to drivers such as flow may be critically important. To further explore timescales of P export variation, we collected long‐term, high‐frequency (subdaily) measurements of stream discharge (Q) and soluble reactive P (SRP) in 2 forested watersheds. We observed significant variation at annual, event, and diel timescales, all of which arise primarily from corresponding Q‐variation. Over the entire period of record, we generally observed a strong dilution signal, with SRP concentrations declining with increased Q. Despite significant SRP variation, flow variation was far larger and, thus, dominated temporal control on downstream flux. Within‐storm events, we observed strong and consistent clockwise SRP versus Q hysteresis, suggesting mobilization of proximal SRP stores. Diel variation exhibited mid‐afternoon concentration minima, Q‐controlled amplitude, and pronounced seasonal shifts in both magnitude and timing consistent with riparian evapotranspiration‐regulating lateral inputs of P‐rich groundwater. Such high‐resolution temporal signals allow identification of solute sources and provide insights into geologic and hydrologic drivers of solute variation.
Thyroid cancer after hysterectomy on benign indications: Findings from an observational cohort study in Sweden
Authors: Falconer Henrik , Yin Li , Bellocco Rino , Altman Daniel
Published: January 2017

To investigate the association between hysterectomy and thyroid cancer subtypes based on histopathology. They did a nationwide, population‐based, cohort study from 1973 to 2009 in Sweden. All women above 18 years of age during the period between January 1, 1973 and December 31, 2009 from the Register of Population (n = 5.704,202) were identified as the study population. Individual case ascertainment of primary thyroid cancer subtypes were restricted to 1993–2009 based on histological pathologic–anatomical‐diagnosis from the Cancer Register. Thyroid cancer subtypes were categorized based on histological morphology as: papillary, follicular and others (including anaplastic and medullary thyroid carcinoma). Information on benign hysterectomy derived from the Swedish Inpatient Register. Women with a hysterectomy (exposed) were compared with women not having had a hysterectomy (unexposed) using Cox's proportional hazard ratios (HRs). The adjusted HR for papillary thyroid cancer was significantly increased in exposed as compared with unexposed women (HR 1.70, 95% CI 1.04–2.79). There was no significant association between hysterectomy and follicular carcinoma or other thyroid cancers. There was a clear shift in the occurrence of thyroid cancer toward a lower attained age at the time of diagnosis among the exposed but no significant difference in overall survival when comparing exposed and unexposed (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.48–2.16) Hysterectomy was associated with an increased risk for subsequent papillary thyroid cancer and diagnosis at a younger age compared with women not having had a hysterectomy but there were no differences in survival.
Whole‐brain vessel wall MRI: A parameter tune‐up solution to improve the scan efficiency of three‐dimensional variable flip‐angle turbo spin‐echo
Authors: Yang Qi , Deng Zixin , Bi Xiaoming , Song Shlee S. , Schlick Konrad H. , Gonzalez Nestor R. , Li Debiao , Fan Zhaoyang
Published: January 2017

Purpose

To propose and evaluate a parameter tune‐up solution to expedite a three‐dimensional (3D) variable‐flip‐angle turbo spin‐echo (TSE) sequence for whole‐brain intracranial vessel wall (IVW) imaging.

Materials and Methods

Elliptical k‐space sampling and prolonged echo train length (ETL), were used to expedite a 3D variable‐flip‐angle TSE‐based sequence. To compensate for the potential loss in vessel wall signal, optimal combination of prescribed T2 and ETL was experimentally investigated on 22 healthy volunteers at 3 Tesla. The optimized protocol (7–8 min) was then compared with a previous protocol (reference protocol, 11–12 min) in terms of signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR), vessel wall sharpness, and wall delineation quality on a 4‐point scale (0:poor; 3:excellent) in 10 healthy volunteers. A pilot study of five patients was performed and lesion delineation score was used to demonstrate the diagnostic quality.

Results

A protocol with ETL = 52 and prescribed T2 = 170 ms was deemed an optimized one, which, compared with the reference protocol, provided significantly improved wall SNR (12.0 ± 1.3 versus 10.0 ± 1.1; P = 0.002), wall–lumen CNR (9.7 ± 1.2 versus 8.0 ± 0.9; P = 0.002), wall–CSF CNR (2.8 ± 1.0 versus 1.7 ± 1.0; P = 0.026), similar vessel wall sharpness at both inner (1.59 ± 0.18 versus 1.58 ± 0.14, P = 0.87) and outer (1.71 ± 0.25 versus 1.83 ± 0.30; P = 0.18) boundaries, and comparable vessel wall delineation score for individual segments (1.95–3; P > 0.06). In all patients, atherosclerotic plaques (10) or wall dissection (5) were identified with a delineation score of 3 or 2.

Conclusion

A parameter tune‐up solution can accelerate 3D variable‐flip‐angle TSE acquisitions, particularly allowed for expedited whole‐brain IVW imaging with preserved wall delineation quality.

Level of Evidence: 2.

Technical Efficacy: Stage 1

J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:751–757
Assessment of drivers' visual perception of information displayed in LED traffic signs at road construction sites
Authors: Liou Jeih‐jang , Wu Chih‐Fu
Published: January 2017

This study investigated drivers' visual perception of information displayed in LED traffic signs under different levels of environmental luminance. Concerning the information displayed, the environmental luminance comprised four luminance contrasts, two arrow types, and three environmental luminances, which were used to identify the visibility of traffic signs at the reading distance. Regarding visible distance, visibility involved reading starting and end points, extent of glare, comfortable distance, and glare distance. According to the study results obtained by using a highly reliable glare assessment method and studying the LED traffic signs, the lower the luminance contrast of traffic signs was the higher glare the participants perceived. A luminance contrast of 6200:2066 cd/m2 provided the farthest comfortable and glare distances, enabling drivers to notice the signs comparatively earlier and have sufficient time to react accordingly. Overall, arrow type “<<<” outperformed “←” because the former was easier for drivers to read and created less glare. Regarding environmental luminance, traffic signs displayed in high and medium luminance environments (i.e., extremely sunny and cloudy days, respectively) each featured their own advantage, whereas those displayed in low luminance environments (nights) have to be further improved.
The price of free tissue transfer after tongue reconstruction: quantifying the risks
Authors: Khan Mohemmed N. , Perez Enrique , Goljo Erden , Iloreta Alfred , Park Richard Chan Woo , Genden Eric M. , Miles Brett A.
Published: January 2017

Objectives/Hypothesis

To evaluate the preoperative variables, mean operative time, morbidity, and mortality associated with reconstruction of partial glossectomy defects.

Study Design

Retrospective data analysis.

Methods

The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients having undergone glossectomy procedures. The study sample was split into two groups based on the lack or presence of a flap reconstruction. A total of 1,012 glossectomy patients were identified, with 805 undergoing nonflap reconstruction and 207 undergoing free flap reconstruction. Variables evaluated included wound complications, major and minor morbidity, return to the operating room, mortality, and mean operative time.

Results

Patients undergoing free flap reconstruction experienced significantly longer mean operative times (482.1 vs. 183.0 minutes, P < .001), were more likely to return to the operating room (odds ratio [OR] = 2.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.33‐4.29, P = .003), and had higher likelihood of wound complications (OR = 5.78, 95% CI = 2.72‐12.26, P < .001), major morbidity (OR = 12.39, 95% CI = 7.02‐21.85, P < .001), and minor morbidity (OR = 4.20, 95% CI = 2.12‐8.33, P < .001). There was no difference in mortality between groups (OR = 8.62, 95% CI = 0.53‐141.7, P = .131).

Conclusions

Free flap reconstruction of glossectomy defects involving up to half of the tongue is associated with increased morbidity and operative time when compared with nonflap reconstruction. Currently available functional outcomes data for tongue reconstruction are poor. Possible functional impairment must be weighed against the associated morbidity when deciding which defects require reconstruction, and the decision to reconstruct should not be taken lightly.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 127:1551–1557, 2017
Crop evapotranspiration assessment under climate change in the Pannonian basin during 1991–2050
Authors: Nistor Mărgărit‐Mircea , Cheval Sorin , Gualtieri Alessandro F. , Dumitrescu Alexandru , Boţan Vanessa E. , Berni Alex , Hognogi Gheorghe , Irimuş Ioan A. , Porumb‐Ghiurco Cosmin G.
Published: January 2017

The impact of climate on crop evapotranspiration (ETc) was assessed in the Pannonian basin for the present (1991–2020) and future (2021–2050). Annual temperature, annual precipitation and monthly potential evapotranspiration are the main climate data used in the present study. The European land cover database was used for the spatial recognition of terrain vegetation of the countries which are found in the Pannonian basin. A difference of maximum annual temperature from 19.9 to 20.8 °C was observed in the investigated area between 1991–2020 and 2021–2050. Precipitation rates decrease from west (1800 mm) to east (below 400 mm), and the potential evapotranspiration varies from 500 to 800 mm. Four stages of crop growth were identified and for each stage the crop co‐efficients were assessed. For present projections of climate data, the annual crop evapotranspiration variability is from 105 to 1087 mm and records the highest values in mid‐season stage, over 630 mm. Future projections indicate that in the central and southern part of the Pannonian basin the annual crop evapotranspiration will increase. For both present and future projections, the lowest crop evapotranspiration was found in the cold season, because of lack of heat and lower values of the crop co‐efficient.
Perceptions of hurricane hazards in the mid‐Atlantic region
Authors: Saunders Michelle E. , Senkbeil Jason C.
Published: January 2017

The mid‐Atlantic region of the United States is susceptible to tropical cyclone hazards. Within the past 15 years this region has experienced Hurricane Isabel in 2003, Hurricane Irene in 2011 and several tropical storms. The region was also impacted by post‐tropical Sandy in 2012. The perception of hurricane hazards among residents of the mid‐Atlantic region has not been directly researched. Furthermore, there is a lack of research on the comprehension of information from hurricane warning graphics that influences hazard perception. This research used a total of eight hypothetical scenarios (four pairs) that varied storm track and storm size to assess risk perception of hurricane hazards and characteristics. Each scenario was represented using a four‐panelled map featuring the National Hurricane Center's cone of uncertainty, a new storm surge map and a new damaging wind map created by the authors. A Qualtrics survey was used to collect responses to questions about concern for personal harm and evacuation intent. Residents of the region perceived falling trees, potential for damaging winds and the size of the storm to be the greatest threats. Scenarios depicting larger storms with track lines that moved inland were seen as more hazardous, resulting in greater concern and evacuation intent. Coastal residents showed greater concern about distance from the track for all scenarios and greater evacuation intent for larger storms compared to inland residents.
Invention of stimulus‐responsive peptide‐bond‐cleaving residue (Spr) and its application to chemical biology tools
Authors: Shigenaga Akira , Yamamoto Jun , Kohiki Taiki , Inokuma Tsubasa , Otaka Akira
Published: January 2017

Elucidation of biological functions of peptides and proteins is essential for understanding peptide/protein‐related biological events and developing drugs. Caged peptides and proteins that release a parent active peptide/protein by photo‐irradiation have successfully been employed to elucidate the functions. Whereas the usual caged peptide/protein enables conversion of an inactive form to an active form (OFF‐to‐ON conversion) by photo‐induced deprotection, photo‐triggered main chain cleavage is reported to be applicable to ON‐to‐OFF conversion. These peptides and proteins are photo‐responsive; however, if peptides and proteins could respond to other stimuli such as disease‐related environment or enzymes, their range of application should be widened. To convert the photo‐responsive peptide/protein into other stimulus‐responsive peptide/protein, quite laborious de novo design and synthesis of the stimulus‐responsive unit are required. In this context, we designed a stimulus‐responsive peptide‐bond‐cleaving residue (Spr) in which the stimuli available for the main chain cleavage vary according to the choice of protecting groups on the residue. In this review, design and synthesis of Spr are introduced, and challenges to apply Spr to other fields to enable, for example, functional control, localization control, delivery of cargos, labeling of a protein of interest in living cells, and identification of target proteins of bioactive ligands are discussed. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antifungal peptides: a potential new class of antifungals for treating vulvovaginal candidiasis caused by fluconazole‐resistant Candida albicans
Authors: Ng Siew Mei Samantha , Yap Yi Yong Alvin , Cheong Jin Wei Darryl , Ng Fui Mee , Lau Qiu Ying , Barkham Timothy , Teo Jeanette Woon Pei , Hill Jeffrey , Chia Cheng San Brian
Published: January 2017

Vulvovaginal candidiasis/candidosis is a common fungal infection afflicting approximately 75% of women globally caused primarily by the yeast Candida albicans. Fluconazole is widely regarded as the antifungal drug of choice since its introduction in 1990 due to its high oral bioavailability, convenient dosing regimen and favourable safety profile. However, its widespread use has led to the emergence of fluconazole‐resistant C. albicans, posing a universal clinical concern. Coupled to the dearth of new antifungal drugs entering the market, it is imperative to introduce new drug classes to counter this threat. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are potential candidates due to their membrane‐disrupting mechanism of action. By specifically targeting fungal membranes and being rapidly fungicidal, they can reduce the chances of resistance development and treatment duration. Towards this goal, we conducted a head‐to‐head comparison of 61 short linear AMPs from the literature to identify the peptide with the most potent activity against fluconazole‐resistant C. albicans. The 11‐residue peptide, P11‐6, was identified and assayed against a panel of clinical C. albicans isolates followed by fungicidal/static determination and a time‐kill assay to gauge its potential for further drug development. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fluorescent dyes in the context of DNA‐binding: The case of Thioflavin T
Authors: Biancardi Alessandro , Biver Tarita , Mennucci Benedetta
Published: January 2017

Thioflavin T (ThT) is a dye characterized by a strong fluorescence light‐up on binding to biosubstrates. Although this effect is known to be related to the inhibition of intramolecular torsion on excitation, the binding modes and their role in affecting photoinduced processes are by no means adequately understood. Here, a combined molecular dynamics and quantum chemical modeling is used to study the tuning of the photophysical properties of ThT when moving from solution to DNA binding. The binding mechanism of ThT to B‐DNA was found to be very complex as a result of an uncommon interplay between different binding modes, for example, monomer intercalation and external binding but also groove binding of the dimer. The detailed analysis of the relation between the different binding modes and the structural and electronic properties of ThT can be used to better understand the interaction with other biosubstrates.
Concordance correlation coefficients estimated by generalized estimating equations and variance components for longitudinal repeated measurements
Authors: Tsai Miao‐Yu
Published: January 2017

The concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) is a commonly accepted measure of agreement between two observers for continuous responses. This paper proposes a generalized estimating equations (GEE) approach allowing dependency between repeated measurements over time to assess intra‐agreement for each observer and inter‐ and total agreement among multiple observers simultaneously. Furthermore, the indices of intra‐, inter‐, and total agreement through variance components (VC) from an extended three‐way linear mixed model (LMM) are also developed with consideration of the correlation structure of longitudinal repeated measurements. Simulation studies are conducted to compare the performance of the GEE and VC approaches for repeated measurements from longitudinal data. An application of optometric conformity study is used for illustration. In conclusion, the GEE approach allowing flexibility in model assumptions and correlation structures of repeated measurements gives satisfactory results with small mean square errors and nominal 95% coverage rates for large data sets, and when the assumption of the relationship between variances and covariances for the extended three‐way LMM holds, the VC approach performs outstandingly well for all sample sizes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
RESeED: A secure regular‐expression search tool for storage clouds
Authors: Salehi Mohsen Amini , Caldwell Thomas , Fernandez Alejandro , Mickiewicz Emmanuel , Rozier Eric W. D. , Zonouz Saman , Redberg David
Published: January 2017

Lack of trust has become one of the main concerns of users who tend to utilize one or multiple Cloud providers. Trustworthy Cloud‐based computing and data storage require secure and efficient solutions which allow clients to remotely store and process their data in the Cloud. User‐side encryption is an established method to secure the user data on the Cloud. However, using encryption, we lose processing capabilities, such as searching, over the Cloud data. In this paper, we present RESeED, a tool that provides user‐transparent and Cloud‐agnostic regular‐expression search functionality over encrypted data across multiple Clouds. Upon a client's intent to upload a new document to the Cloud, RESeED analyzes the document's content and updates its data structures accordingly. Then, it encrypts and transfers the document to the Cloud. RESeED provides the regular‐expression search functionality over encrypted data by translating the search queries on‐the‐fly to finite automata and analyzing concise and secure representations of the data before asking the Cloud to download the encrypted documents. RESeED's parallel architecture enables efficient search over large‐scale (and potentially big data scale) data‐sets. We evaluate the performance of RESeED experimentally and demonstrate its scalability and correctness using real‐world data‐sets from arXiv.org and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Our results show that RESeED produces accurate query responses with a reasonable (≃6%) storage overhead. The results also demonstrate that for many search queries, RESeED performs faster in compare with the grep utility that functions on unencrypted data. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Schedulability analysis and efficient scheduling of rate constrained messages in the TTEthernet protocol
Authors: Kermia Omar
Published: January 2017

Over time, cyber‐physical systems are becoming mixed criticality systems. As the complexity and the size of these systems grow, computation/communication resources should be more efficient than with traditional systems. TTEthernet is a communication infrastructure that enables the use of a single physical communication infrastructure for distributed mixed criticality applications while providing timely determinism. TTEthernet distinguishes between two traffic categories: the standard event triggered and the time triggered. The latter, for which higher priority is granted, is subject to strong timing guarantees because of strict periodicity constraint that fixes start‐time cycles of time‐triggered messages. In addition, event‐triggered traffic includes rate‐constrained messages that are of lower priority and have a minimum time interval between their transmission. The paper proposes both an on‐line efficient scheduling algorithm and a necessary and sufficient schedulability condition based on the worst case response time computation for rate‐constrained messages while taking into account time‐triggered messages transmission. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Visual–tactile processing in primary somatosensory cortex emerges before cross‐modal experience
Authors: Bieler Malte , Sieben Kay , Schildt Sandra , Röder Brigitte , Hanganu‐Opatz Ileana L.
Published: January 2017

The presumptive unisensory neocortical areas process multisensory information by oscillatory entrainment of neuronal networks via direct cortico‐cortical projections. While neonatal unimodal experience has been identified as necessary for setting up the neuronal networks of multisensory processing, it is still unclear whether early cross‐modal experience equally controls the ontogeny of multisensory processing. Here, we assess the development of visual–somatosensory interactions and their anatomical substrate by performing extracellular recordings of network activity in primary sensory cortices in vivo and assessing the cortico‐cortical connectivity in pigmented rats. Similar to adult animals, juvenile rats with minimal cross‐modal experience display supra‐additive augmentation of evoked responses, time‐dependent modulation of power and phase reset of network oscillations in response to cross‐modal light and whisker stimulation. Moreover, the neuronal discharge of individual neurons is stronger coupled to theta and alpha network oscillations after visual–tactile stimuli. The adult‐like multisensory processing of juvenile rats relies on abundant direct visual–somatosensory connections and thalamocortical feedforward interactions. Thus, cellular and network interactions ensuring multisensory processing emerge before cross‐modal experience and refine during juvenile development.
Whole genome grey and white matter DNA methylation profiles in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
Authors: Sanchez‐Mut Jose Vicente , Heyn Holger , Vidal Enrique , Delgado‐Morales Raúl , Moran Sebastian , Sayols Sergi , Sandoval Juan , Ferrer Isidre , Esteller Manel , Gräff Johannes
Published: January 2017

The brain's neocortex is anatomically organized into grey and white matter, which are mainly composed by neuronal and glial cells, respectively. The neocortex can be further divided in different Brodmann areas according to their cytoarchitectural organization, which are associated with distinct cortical functions. There is increasing evidence that brain development and function are governed by epigenetic processes, yet their contribution to the functional organization of the neocortex remains incompletely understood. Herein, we determined the DNA methylation patterns of grey and white matter of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 9), an important region for higher cognitive skills that is particularly affected in various neurological diseases. For avoiding interindividual differences, we analyzed white and grey matter from the same donor using whole genome bisulfite sequencing, and for validating their biological significance, we used Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip and pyrosequencing in ten and twenty independent samples, respectively. The combination of these analysis indicated robust grey‐white matter differences in DNA methylation. What is more, cell type‐specific markers were enriched among the most differentially methylated genes. Interestingly, we also found an outstanding number of grey‐white matter differentially methylated genes that have previously been associated with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease, as well as Multiple and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The data presented here thus constitute an important resource for future studies not only to gain insight into brain regional as well as grey and white matter differences, but also to unmask epigenetic alterations that might underlie neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.
Electrochemical reduction of CO2 for synthesis of green fuel
Authors: Malik Karan , Singh Surya , Basu Suddhasatwa , Verma Anil
Published: January 2017

The depletion of increasing CO2 of the atmosphere and the generation of alternate fuel sources are among the biggest challenges being faced by the scientific community across the globe. This scenario has propelled work in the direction of utilization of CO2 by various methods. Electrochemical reduction of CO2 is one of the leading research areas that may be useful not only for the utilization of CO2 but also for the generation of green fuels and storage of renewable energy (solar or wind). However, the process is kinetically impeded and less selective toward a specific product and, therefore, requires efficient electrocatalysts. Much work has already been done in this field, and significant success has also been achieved. Hence, in this review paper, the potential of electrochemical reduction of CO2 for fuel generation is discussed, with special focus on electrocatalysts. The suitability of different electrocatalysts is addressed along with the possible scope for enhancing the efficiency of the process. WIREs Energy Environ 2017, 6:e244. doi: 10.1002/wene.244

This article is categorized under:

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen > Climate and Environment
Genotypes and Haplotypes of the Estrogen Receptor α Gene (ESR1) Are Associated with Female-to-Male Gender Dysphoria
Authors: Cortés-Cortés Joselyn , Fernández Rosa , Teijeiro Nerea , Gómez-Gil Esther , Esteva Isabel , Almaraz Mari Cruz , Guillamón Antonio , Pásaro Eduardo
Published: January 2017

Introduction

Gender dysphoria, a marked incongruence between one's experienced gender and biological sex, is commonly believed to arise from discrepant cerebral and genital sexual differentiation. With the discovery that estrogen receptor β is associated with female-to-male (FtM) but not with male-to-female (MtF) gender dysphoria, and given estrogen receptor α involvement in central nervous system masculinization, it was hypothesized that estrogen receptor α, encoded by the ESR1 gene, also might be implicated.

Aim

To investigate whether ESR1 polymorphisms (TA)n-rs3138774, PvuII-rs2234693, and XbaI-rs9340799 and their haplotypes are associated with gender dysphoria in adults.

Methods

Molecular analysis was performed in peripheral blood samples from 183 FtM subjects, 184 MtF subjects, and 394 sex- and ethnically-matched controls.

Main Outcome Measures

Genotype and haplotype analyses of the (TA)n-rs3138774, PvuII-rs2234693, and XbaI-rs9340799 polymorphisms.

Results

Allele and genotype frequencies for the polymorphism XbaI were statistically significant only in FtM vs control XX subjects (P = .021 and P = .020). In XX individuals, the A/G genotype was associated with a low risk of gender dysphoria (odds ratio [OR] = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.16–0.74; P = .011); in XY individuals, the A/A genotype implied a low risk of gender dysphoria (OR = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.17–0.89; P = .008). Binary logistic regression showed partial effects for all three polymorphisms in FtM but not in MtF subjects. The three polymorphisms were in linkage disequilibrium: a small number of TA repeats was linked to the presence of PvuII and XbaI restriction sites (haplotype S-T-A), and a large number of TA repeats was linked to the absence of these restriction sites (haplotype L-C-G). In XX individuals, the presence of haplotype L-C-G carried a low risk of gender dysphoria (OR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.44–0.99; P = .046), whereas the presence of haplotype L-C-A carried a high susceptibility to gender dysphoria (OR = 3.96; 95% CI = 1.04–15.02; P = .044). Global haplotype was associated with FtM gender dysphoria (P = .017) but not with MtF gender dysphoria.

Conclusions

XbaI-rs9340799 is involved in FtM gender dysphoria in adults. Our findings suggest different genetic programs for gender dysphoria in men and women.
Executive Functioning of Sexually Compulsive and Non-Sexually Compulsive Men Before and After Watching an Erotic Video
Authors: Messina Bruna , Fuentes Daniel , Tavares Hermano , Abdo Carmita H.N. , Scanavino Marco de T.
Published: January 2017

Introduction

Despite the serious behavioral consequences faced by individuals with sexual compulsivity, related neuropsychological studies are sparse.

Aim

To compare decision making and cognitive flexibility at baseline and after exposure to an erotic video in sexually compulsive participants and non-sexually compulsive controls.

Methods

The sample consisted of 30 sexually compulsive men and 30 controls. Cognitive flexibility was investigated through the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and decision making was examined through the Iowa Gambling Task.

Main Outcome Measures

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test categories, correct responses, and perseverative errors and Iowa Gambling Task general trends and blocks.

Results

Sexually compulsive subjects and controls performed similarly at baseline. After watching an erotic video, controls performed better in block 1 of the Iowa Gambling Task (P = .01) and had more correct responses on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (P = .01).

Conclusions

The controls presented fewer impulsive initial choices and better cognitive flexibility after exposure to erotic stimuli.
Interdisciplinary dissemination and implementation research to advance translational science: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Guerrero E. G. , Hahn E. E. , Khachikian T. , Chuang E. , Brown A. F. ,   the Dissemination and Implementation Science Workgroup
Published: January 2017

Introduction

Interdisciplinary collaboration is a critical component of translation, dissemination, implementation, and improvement (TDII) science. Yet, little is known about effective frameworks and practices regarding interdisciplinary research in TDII.

Methods

This study drew on data collected from an expert panel during a regional symposium.

Results

Findings highlight facilitators and barriers to stimulating interdisciplinary TDII research in different domains: intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, power and hierarchy, physical environment, and communication and language.

Conclusions

Findings have significant implications for TDII of clinical practices.
Localisation of Rayleigh–Bloch waves and damping of resonant loads on arrays of vertical cylinders
Authors: Bennetts Luke G. , Peter Malte A. , Montiel Fabien
Published: January 2017

Linear potential-flow theory is used to study loads imposed on finite line arrays of rigid, bottom-mounted, surface-piercing, vertical cylinders by surface water waves. Perturbations in the cylinder locations are shown to damp the resonant loads experienced by the unperturbed array. A relationship is established between the damping and the phenomenon of Anderson localisation. Specifically, the Rayleigh–Bloch waves responsible for the resonant loads are shown to attenuate along the array when perturbations are introduced, resulting in localisation when the attenuation rate is sufficiently large with respect to the array length. Further, an efficient solution method for line arrays is introduced that captures the Rayleigh–Bloch wave modes supported by unperturbed arrays from the scattering characteristics of an individual cylinder.
EDITORIAL FOREWORD
Authors: Khater Akram , Culang Jeffrey
Published: January 2017

The articles in this issue explore the formation and consolidation of national political communities in the Middle East, as well as the atomization of those communities over the past half-decade. The opening section, “Labor and Economy,” brings together two scholars of modern Egypt. In “The Egyptian Labor Corps: Workers, Peasants, and the State in World War I,” Kyle J. Anderson focuses on Britain's mobilization of Egypt's human resources for the war effort. The British recruited workers and peasants from rural areas of Egypt to serve as laborers in the Egyptian Labor Corps (ELC), which Britain had formed to provide logistical support to its troops in various theaters of war, principally nearby Palestine. By reconstructing the wartime recruitment network through the colonial archive, Anderson considers the broad relationship between the central state extending out of Cairo and rural Egyptian society. Where many historians of modern Egypt have seen a hermetic bifurcation characterized by mutual antagonism, Anderson sees linkages and interdependence that undermine category boundaries. The ELC recruitment effort “bound ordinary Egyptians from all corners of the Nile Valley to one another, to their local administrative officials, and to wartime decision makers in Cairo, in London, and on the front lines of the war.” Seeing the relationship between power and resistance as dialectical and mutually constitutive, he shows how, in reaction to wartime mobilization efforts, “workers and peasants developed new ways of interacting with state officials,” while “the Anglo-Egyptian state changed its labor recruitment practices in response to recruits, their families, and their communities in the countryside.” Anderson's analysis of ELC recruitment concludes by providing important context for rural responses to the outbreak of revolt in 1919.
THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF PRIVATE PRINTING IN CAIRO AS TOLD FROM A COMMISSIONING DEAL TURNED SOUR, 1871
Authors: Schwartz Kathryn A.
Published: January 2017

This article examines the political economy of Cairo's emerging Arabic private printing industry during the third quarter of the 19th century. I use the constituent texts of the industry to demonstrate that it developed upon the speculative model of commissioning, whereby individuals paid printers to produce particular works of their choosing. Commissioning indicates that Egyptian private printing grew from local traditions for producing handwritten texts. Nevertheless, print commissioning differed from manuscript commissioning by requiring individuals to assume great financial risk. I explore the nature and implications of this divergence through a treatise published in 1871 by Musa Kastali, a particularly prolific printer who helped to professionalize Cairene printing. Musa's treatise details his legal battle with a famous Azhari commissioner, and is unique for describing a printer's business practices. It demonstrates the importance of situating printings within their socioeconomic contexts in addition to their intellectual ones, a task which cannot be done without an appreciation for the functioning of the printing industry at a local level.
What Does the Slave Trade in the Saqaliba Tell Us about Early Islamic Slavery?
Authors: Jankowiak Marek
Published: January 2017

The Saqaliba—a term that in medieval Arabic literature denoted the Slavic populations of central and eastern Europe (and possibly some of their neighbors)—offer a particularly insightful case study of the mechanisms of the early Islamic slave trade and the nature of the Muslim demand for slaves. What makes them such an ideal case study is their high visibility in texts produced in the Islamic world between the early 9th and early 11th centuries. Arab geographers and diplomats investigated their origins, while archaeological material, primarily hundreds of thousands of dirhams found in Scandinavia and the Slavic lands, contains traces of the trade in them. By combining these strands of evidence, we can build an exceptionally detailed image of slave trade systems that supplied Saqaliba to the Islamic markets, which, in turn, can be used to illustrate more general mechanisms governing the trade in and demand for slaves in the medieval Islamic world.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL TURN IN MIDDLE EAST HISTORY
Authors: Trumbull George R.
Published: January 2017

If historians of the Middle East have turned their attention to the environment rather later than those in other subfields, a recent crop of books indicates that a new generation of scholars has spent much productive time considering environmental histories of other geographies. The books reviewed in this essay stand out for their insistence on examining Middle Eastern environments as both ecological facts and representational spaces. Taken in concert, they indicate the vibrancy of environmental history in the field. Moreover, their careful attention to methodology and creative use of sources opens up spaces for new investigations of politics, culture, and religion as mediated through environmental management and representation. Following on the recent work of Diana K. Davis, Edmund Burke III, and others, these historians have marshaled environmental, climatological, epidemiological, biological, and geological data for historical argument. Thus, the resulting works situate themselves deeply within their respective historiographic narratives, yet also interrupt, redelineate, and unsettle those narrative assumptions. At its best, the so-called “environmental turn” in the history of the Middle East represents not an intellectual fashion, but rather a major methodological shift that involves a reframing of our understanding of the formation of the field.
A pressure tensor description for the time-resonant Weibel instability
Authors: Sarrat M. , Del Sarto D. , Ghizzo A.
Published: January 2017

We discuss a fluid model with inclusion of the complete pressure tensor dynamics for the description of Weibel-type instabilities in a counterstreaming beam configuration. Differently from the case recently studied in Sarrat et al. (Europhys. Lett., vol. 115, 2016, 45001), where perturbations perpendicular to the beams were considered, here we focus only on modes propagating along the beams. Such a configuration is responsible for the growth of two kinds of instabilities, the two-stream instability and the Weibel instability, which in this geometry becomes ‘time resonant’, i.e. propagating. This fluid description agrees with the kinetic one and makes it possible e.g. to identify the transition between non-propagating and propagating Weibel modes, already evidenced by Lazar et al. (J. Plasma Phys., vol. 76 (1), 2010, p. 49) as a ‘slope breaking’ of the growth rate, in terms of a merger of two non-propagating Weibel modes.