bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Famous optician: James Clerk Maxwell
Authors: Haidar Riad
Published: April 2018

Mainly known for his unifying theory of electricity, magnetism and induction, James Clerk Maxwell also concluded that light was an electromagnetic wave, and was responsible for the first true colour photograph.
How can attosecond pulse train interferometry interrogate electron dynamics?
Authors: Arnold C.L. , Isinger M. , Busto D. , Guénot D. , Nandi S. , Zhong S. , Dahlström J.M. , Gisselbrecht M. , l’Huillier A.
Published: April 2018

Light pulses of sub-100 as (1 as=10-18 s) duration, with photon energies in the extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) spectral domain, represent the shortest event in time ever made and controlled by human beings. Their first experimental observation in 2001 has opened the door to investigating the fundamental dynamics of the quantum world on the natural time scale for electrons in atoms, molecules and solids and marks the beginning of the scientific field now called attosecond science.
Back to basics: history of photonic crystals and metamaterials
Authors: Soukoulis Costas M.
Published: April 2018

We will review the history of photonic crystals and overview
of the theoretical and experimental efforts in obtaining a
photonic bandgap, a frequency band in three-dimensional
dielectric structures in which electromagnetic (EM) waves
are forbidden, is presented. Many experimental groups
all over the world still employ this woodpile structure to
fabricate PCs at optical wavelengths, waveguides, enhance
nanocavities, and produce nanolasers with a low threshold
limit. We have been focused on a new class of materials, the
so-called metamaterials (MMs) or negative-index materials,
which exhibit highly unusual electromagnetic properties and
hold promise for new device applications. Metamaterials can
be designed to exhibit both electric and magnetic resonances
that can be separately tuned to occur in frequency bands
from megahertz to terahertz frequencies, and hope-fully to
the visible region of the EM spectrum.
Evaluation of two therapeutic patient education programs for prevention of diabetic foot ulcers
Authors: Marchand Claire , Margat Aurore , Deccache Carole , Ha Van Georges , M’Bemba Jocelyne , Schuldiner Sophie , Martini Jacques , Parer Claire , Gagnayre Rémi , Lombrail Pierre , d’Ivernois Jean François , Hartemann Agnès
Published: April 2018

Objectives:The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the effects of two education programs on patients’ understanding of the disease, self-efficacy, locus of control, and application of prevention behaviors for foot ulcer.Methods:In four centers that manage patients with diabetes and grade 2 or 3 neuropathy, the first arm of patients (G1 = 53) participated in a “standard” program usually managed in each center, and those in the second arm (G2 = 56) in a “new” program. The patients completed four questionnaires at inclusion (T0) and six months after the education (T1). Occurrence of a new foot ulcer and care behaviors were collected at T1. Z-test was used to compare mean scores for each questionnaire and Fisher’s exact test for percentages (p = 0.05).Results:There was no significant difference between groups G1 and G2 in terms of scores for each questionnaire at T0 and T1. Group G2 showed a significant change in score between T0 and T1 for understanding the disease (p = 0.04) and prevention behaviors (p = 0.01). For the sample as a whole (n = 109), there was a significant improvement between T0 and T1 for two questionnaires: understanding of disease (p < 0.01) and declared prevention behaviors (p < 0.01). Patients who reported having relative to participate in care had a significantly higher mean score on prevention behaviors (p < 0.01). Twenty patients had developed one new ulcer since the education (20.2%).Conclusion:This study reinforces the importance of devoting time during education to patients’ understanding of the disease and involving relatives to improve foot ulcer prevention behaviors.
Synthesis and Cytotoxic Evaluation of 3-(4-Fluorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxy/4-nitrophenyl)-N-(substituted-phenyl)pyrazole-1-carboxamide Analogues
Authors: Ahsan Mohamed , Kumawat Bhawani , Kumawat Sonu , Sharma Piush , Bakht Mohammad , Hassan Mohd , Hussain Afzal , Saraswat Pankaj , Khalilullah Habibullah
Published: April 2018

A novel series of 3-(4-fluorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxy/4-nitro phenyl)-N-(substituted-phenyl)pyrazole-1-carboxamide analogues 4a–n was synthesized in two steps from 4-fluoroacetophenone. The pyrazoline analogues were evaluated for cytotoxicity against two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MBA-MD-231) by the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. N-(4-Chlorophenyl)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-(4-nitrophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamide (4b) showed the most promising cytotoxicity among the series, with GI50 <0.1 and 45.8 μM against the cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, respectively. The anticancer activity of 4b was found to be comparable to that of the standard drug adriamycin (GI50 <0.1) against the MCF-7 cancer cell line. Structure activity relationships (SAR) are also considered.
Alternative Metal-Free Synthesis of Diorganoyl Selenides and Tellurides Mediated by Oxone®
Authors: Perin Gelson , Alves Diego , Duarte Luis , Neto José , Silva Márcio
Published: April 2018

We herein describe an alternative metal-free methodology for the synthesis of diorganyl selenides and tellurides mediated by ­Oxone®. The products were obtained in moderate to excellent yields by reactions of diorganyl diselenides or ditellurides with aryl boronic acids mediated by Oxone® with use of EtOH as the solvent. The methodology is applicable to a broad scope of diorganyl dichalcogenides and aryl boronic acids containing electron-rich, electron-poor, and sterically hindered substituents.
60 Jahre Notarztdienst in Köln
Authors: Stangl Robert , Wanke Sebastian , Paul Christian , Adler Christoph
Published: April 2018

Bedingt durch die rapide steigenden Verkehrsunfallzahlen im Zuge der zunehmenden Motorisierung ergab sich Ende der 50er-Jahre des 20. Jahrhunderts ein dringender Reformbedarf für das Rettungswesen. In diesem Zusammenhang entstanden ab 1957 die ersten Notarztsysteme in Köln und Heidelberg. Die Entstehung und Entwicklung des Kölner Notarztdienstes seit 1957 kann aufgrund der äußerst günstigen Quellenlage und anhand zahlreicher gut erhaltener Dokumente und lebender Zeitzeugen genauestens dokumentiert und nachvollzogen werden. Zahlreiche grundlegende Organisationsformen und wegweisende Prinzipien des organisierten Notarztdienstes wurden in dieser Zeit entwickelt. Beeindruckend detaillierte statistische Auswertungen wie beispielsweise die erstmalige systematische Analyse präklinischer Reanimationsergebnisse in der deutschen Literatur geben einen interessanten Einblick in die frühen Jahre der deutschen Notfallmedizin.
Clinical Outcomes and Complications after Open Reduction and Internal Fixation Utilizing Conventional Plates in 65 Distal Radial and Ulnar Fractures of Miniature- and Toy-Breed Dogs
Authors: Miyazaki Yuta , Shimatsu Taichi , Iizuka Kyoko , Nishimura Masaaki , Aikawa Takeshi
Published: April 2018

Objective This article aims to evaluate clinical outcomes and complications of distal radial and ulnar fractures in miniature- and toy-breed dogs treated with conventional bone plate fixation.

Methods Medical records (2001–2010) of miniature- and toy-breed dogs with distal radial and ulnar fractures repaired with open reduction and internal fixation utilizing conventional plates were reviewed. The inclusion criteria were body weight of <7 kg, fracture located in the distal antebrachium (distal-to-total radial length ratio < 0.4) and follow-up radiographs available.

Results All 65 fractures healed without developing non-union, and had a successful return to normal function (median follow-up: 73 months; range: 2–149 months). Minor complication in seven fractures and major complication in four fractures were identified.

Clinical Significance Open reduction and conventional plate fixation of distal radial and ulnar fractures in miniature- and toy-breed dogs are effective means of fixation that result in normal functional outcome without developing non-union.
Prävention und Diagnostik multiresistenter Erreger
Authors: Scheithauer Simone , Kaase Martin
Published: April 2018

Patients colonized or infected by multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) are entitled to the same medical treatment as other patients and infection control measures based on the current evidence are not in conflict with this aim. Recent studies indicate that the correct sampling technique is of utmost importance when screening for MRSA and usage of certain swabs might reduce the sensitivity considerably. Despite improvements in diagnostic strategies for direct MRSA detection by PCR, false positive results cannot be totally excluded. With regard to multidrug-resistant gramnegative bacteria differences between species should be emphasized to tailor infection control measures. E. g. easier transmissibility has been shown for K. pneumoniae compared to E. coli. Hospitals in Germany should strictly employ screening for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales as well as A. baumannii in all patients hospitalized abroad within the previous year. To avoid unnecessary social exclusion of MDR patients it must be emphasized that contact precautions are recommended for hospitals and not for long-time care facilities.
Efficiently and easily integrating differential equations with JiTCODE, JiTCDDE, and JiTCSDE
Authors: Ansmann Gerrit
Published: April 2018

We present a family of Python modules for the numerical integration of ordinary, delay, or stochastic differential equations. The key features are that the user enters the derivative symbolically and it is just-in-time-compiled, allowing the user to efficiently integrate differential equations from a higher-level interpreted language. The presented modules are particularly suited for large systems of differential equations such as those used to describe dynamics on complex networks. Through the selected method of input, the presented modules also allow almost complete automatization of the process of estimating regular as well as transversal Lyapunov exponents for ordinary and delay differential equations. We conceptually discuss the modules' design, analyze their performance, and demonstrate their capabilities by application to timely problems.
Glassy dynamics of dense particle assemblies on a spherical substrate
Authors: Vest Julien-Piera , Tarjus Gilles , Viot Pascal
Published: April 2018

We study by molecular dynamics simulation a dense one-component system of particles confined on a spherical substrate. We more specifically investigate the evolution of the structural and dynamical properties of the system when changing the control parameters, the temperature and the curvature of the substrate. We find that the dynamics become glassy at low temperature, with a strong slowdown of the relaxation and the emergence of dynamical heterogeneity. The prevalent local 6-fold order is frustrated by curvature and we analyze in detail the role of the topological defects in the statics and the dynamics of the particle assembly.
Benefits and costs of grazing various proportions of perennial ryegrass and chicory for dairy production
Authors: Lewis C. D. , Ho C. K. M. , Jacobs J. L. , Malcolm B.
Published: April 2018

Understanding the economic trade-off between changes in the supplementary feed required and the cost of pasture renovation is important when considering investing in alternative forages. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is the main pasture species used for dairy production in temperate Australia. Alternatives to perennial ryegrass are grown to complement the seasonal growth pattern of perennial ryegrass, and to potentially increase annual dry matter (DM) yield. A case study analysis of a dairy farm in Gippsland was used to explore the benefits and costs over 15 years when either 0%, 20% or 40% of the milking area was sown to chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), with the balance sown to perennial ryegrass. Chicory was part of a 3-year pasture renovation cycle; in the year of establishment, annual ryegrass was sown in the autumn, with chicory sown in spring, followed by 27 months of production. This was compared with a 5-year renovation cycle of perennial ryegrass. Stocking rates of 3.3 and 2.5 cows/ha were modelled. A whole farm budget approach with stochastic simulation was used to quantify the potential effect on profit and risk. The profitability of growing chicory depended on the balance among (1) savings in supplementary feed costs during summer and autumn, and (2) possible reductions in the overall supply of DM during winter and early spring, and (3) increased pasture renovation costs. Stocking rate influenced the most profitable percentage of land sown to chicory. When stocking rate was 3.3 cows/ha, sowing 20% of the milking area to chicory returned a net present value (NPV) over 15 years AU$31 000 greater, on average, than did sowing 0% chicory, and AU$46 000 greater than sowing 40% chicory. With 2.5 cows/ha, sowing 40% of the milking area to chicory returned an NPV AU$39 000–AU$102 000 greater, on average, than did sowing either 20% or 0% chicory, respectively. The ratio of perennial ryegrass to chicory had little effect on the variability of NPV. For an individual farm, the most profitable percentage will fluctuate over time with variations in prices, seasonal conditions and management choices.
Implementation of novel statistical procedures and other advanced approaches to improve analysis of CASA data
Authors: Ramón M. , Martínez-Pastor F.
Published: April 2018

Computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) produces a wealth of data that is frequently ignored. The use of multiparametric statistical methods can help explore these datasets, unveiling the subpopulation structure of sperm samples. In this review we analyse the significance of the internal heterogeneity of sperm samples and its relevance. We also provide a brief description of the statistical tools used for extracting sperm subpopulations from the datasets, namely unsupervised clustering (with non-hierarchical, hierarchical and two-step methods) and the most advanced supervised methods, based on machine learning. The former method has allowed exploration of subpopulation patterns in many species, whereas the latter offering further possibilities, especially considering functional studies and the practical use of subpopulation analysis. We also consider novel approaches, such as the use of geometric morphometrics or imaging flow cytometry. Finally, although the data provided by CASA systems provides valuable information on sperm samples by applying clustering analyses, there are several caveats. Protocols for capturing and analysing motility or morphometry should be standardised and adapted to each experiment, and the algorithms should be open in order to allow comparison of results between laboratories. Moreover, we must be aware of new technology that could change the paradigm for studying sperm motility and morphology.
Seasonal changes in food selection and nutrition of captive platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Authors: Thomas Jessica L. , Handasyde Kathrine A. , Temple-Smith Peter , Parrott Marissa L.
Published: April 2018

Anecdotal observations of captive platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) suggest that they show a seasonal preference for particular foods, but this has never been rigorously measured. This study aimed to determine seasonal food preferences and energy consumption of captive platypuses so that better protocols for maintaining platypuses in captivity can be developed. Seven platypuses were fed an ad libitum diet with all food items weighed in and out of tanks. Food items were analysed for energy, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Platypuses preferred less mobile prey (mealworms, earthworms and fly pupae) over highly mobile prey (crayfish). There was no significant seasonal change in preference for different dietary items, which is more likely to be driven by prey behaviour. Crayfish contributed the largest percentage (mass) consumed and was highly nutritious. While the relative percentage of items in the diet did not change seasonally, the quantity eaten did. The mean energy intake of platypuses was 921 kJ kg–1 day–1 and varied seasonally, being lowest during the breeding season (810 kJ kg–1 day–1) and highest in the postbreeding season (1007 kJ kg–1 day–1). These changes were associated with preparation and recovery from the breeding season. We conclude that the platypus diet is influenced by nutrition and seasonal factors as well as by prey behaviour. This knowledge will contribute to improving the husbandry and management of platypuses, which are widely recognised as difficult to maintain in captivity.
Genetic instrumental variable regression: Explaining socioeconomic and health outcomes in nonexperimental data
Authors: DiPrete Thomas A. , Burik Casper A. P. , Koellinger Philipp D.
Published: April 2018

Significance

We propose genetic instrumental variable (GIV) regression—a method that controls for pleiotropic effects of genes on two variables. GIV regression is broadly applicable to study outcomes for which polygenic scores from large-scale genome-wide association studies are available. We explore the performance of GIV regression in the presence of pleiotropy across a range of scenarios and find that it yields more accurate estimates than alternative approaches such as ordinary least-squares regression or Mendelian randomization. When GIV regression is combined with proper controls for purely environmental sources of bias (e.g., using control variables and sibling fixed effects), it improves our understanding of the causal relationships between genetically correlated variables.
ZINC-FINGER interactions mediate transcriptional regulation of hypocotyl growth in
Arabidopsis
Authors: Perrella Giorgio , Davidson Mhairi L. H. , O’Donnell Liz , Nastase Ana-Marie , Herzyk Pawel , Breton Ghislain , Pruneda-Paz Jose L. , Kay Steve A. , Chory Joanne , Kaiserli Eirini
Published: April 2018

Significance

Light coordinates energy production, growth, and survival throughout plant development. In
Arabidopsis
, light stimulates transcriptional reprogramming during developmental transitions such as photomorphogenesis and flowering through the action of photoreceptors, transcription factors, and signaling components. Here we assign a function to a member of the zinc-finger homeodomain (ZFHD) transcription factor family in regulating light-induced development. Our findings reveal ZFHD10 to be a missing link in understanding how the recently discovered integrator of light and photoperiodic flowering, TANDEM ZINC-FINGER PLUS3 (TZP), controls the expression of growth-promoting transcriptional regulators via direct association with light-regulated promoter elements. Elucidating how such novel protein complexes coordinate gene expression will allow scientists and breeders to optimize plant growth and development in response to unfavorable environmental conditions.
Status threat, not economic hardship, explains the 2016 presidential vote
Authors: Mutz Diana C.
Published: April 2018

Significance

Support for Donald J. Trump in the 2016 election was widely attributed to citizens who were “left behind” economically. These claims were based on the strong cross-sectional relationship between Trump support and lacking a college education. Using a representative panel from 2012 to 2016, I find that change in financial wellbeing had little impact on candidate preference. Instead, changing preferences were related to changes in the party’s positions on issues related to American global dominance and the rise of a majority–minority America: issues that threaten white Americans’ sense of dominant group status. Results highlight the importance of looking beyond theories emphasizing changes in issue salience to better understand the meaning of election outcomes when public preferences and candidates’ positions are changing.
Molecular mechanism to recruit galectin-3 into multivesicular bodies for polarized exosomal secretion
Authors: Bänfer Sebastian , Schneider Dominik , Dewes Jenny , Strauss Maximilian T. , Freibert Sven-A. , Heimerl Thomas , Maier Uwe G. , Elsässer Hans-Peter , Jungmann Ralf , Jacob Ralf
Published: April 2018

Significance

Lacking a canonical signal peptide for translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum, galectin-3 (Gal3) is exported by unconventional secretion to play key roles in various cellular processes of fundamental importance. However, molecular details about the sorting components, the signals involved, and the underlying mechanism have remained elusive. Here, we identify a highly conserved tetrapeptide motif P(S/T)AP in the amino-terminal domain of Gal3 that directly interacts with the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) component Tsg101, resulting in exosomal release. This study thus defines a unique molecular mechanism based on a late domain-like motif known from many viruses by which an endogenous non-ESCRT protein is secreted in exosomes.
Earth BioGenome Project: Sequencing life for the future of life
Authors: Lewin Harris A. , Robinson Gene E. , Kress W. John , Baker William J. , Coddington Jonathan , Crandall Keith A. , Durbin Richard , Edwards Scott V. , Forest Félix , Gilbert M. Thomas P. , Goldstein Melissa M. , Grigoriev Igor V. , Hackett Kevin J. , Haussler David , Jarvis Erich D. , Johnson Warren E. , Patrinos Aristides , Richards Stephen , Castilla-Rubio Juan Carlos , van Sluys Marie-Anne , Soltis Pamela S. , Xu Xun , Yang Huanming , Zhang Guojie
Published: April 2018

Increasing our understanding of Earth’s biodiversity and responsibly stewarding its resources are among the most crucial scientific and social challenges of the new millennium. These challenges require fundamental new knowledge of the organization, evolution, functions, and interactions among millions of the planet’s organisms. Herein, we present a perspective on the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), a moonshot for biology that aims to sequence, catalog, and characterize the genomes of all of Earth’s eukaryotic biodiversity over a period of 10 years. The outcomes of the EBP will inform a broad range of major issues facing humanity, such as the impact of climate change on biodiversity, the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems, and the preservation and enhancement of ecosystem services. We describe hurdles that the project faces, including data-sharing policies that ensure a permanent, freely available resource for future scientific discovery while respecting access and benefit sharing guidelines of the Nagoya Protocol. We also describe scientific and organizational challenges in executing such an ambitious project, and the structure proposed to achieve the project’s goals. The far-reaching potential benefits of creating an open digital repository of genomic information for life on Earth can be realized only by a coordinated international effort.
Cryptographic hashing using chaotic hydrodynamics
Authors: Gilpin William
Published: April 2018

Significance

An essential component of digital communication is hashing, in which a complex piece of information (a document, video, etc.) is mathematically transformed into a unique signature that can later be used to identify the original piece of data. Here, we show that this process bears strong similarity to the chaotic behavior of certain types of flows observed when ordinary fluids mix, such as the stirring of dye into water. We use this analogy between rearranging information and stirring a fluid to construct a fluid-based hash function with comparable properties to traditional algorithms. Our work bears direct relevance to cases in which the physical representation of information affects its transmission, including in microfluidic self-assembly schemes and characterizing complex natural flows.
Iron promotes oxidative cell death caused by bisretinoids of retina
Authors: Ueda Keiko , Kim Hye Jin , Zhao Jin , Song Ying , Dunaief Joshua L. , Sparrow Janet R.
Published: April 2018

Significance

Cells are subject to metabolic sources of oxidizing species and to the need to regulate Fe, a redox-active metal. Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells have to contend with an additional, unique source of oxidative stress: photooxidative insult from bisretinoids that accumulate as lipofuscin. Here we report that Fe can interact with bisretinoids in RPE to promote cell damage. These findings inform disease processes in both Fe-related and bisretinoid-associated retinal degeneration. The link between Fe and bisretinoid oxidation also highlights opportunities for repurposed and combination therapies. This could include visual cycle inhibitors as a treatment for maculopathy associated with elevated retinal Fe, and Fe chelation to aid in suppressing the damaging effects of bisretinoids in juvenile and age-related macular degeneration.
Dome-headed, small-brained island mammal from the Late Cretaceous of Romania
Authors: Csiki-Sava Zoltán , Vremir Mátyás , Meng Jin , Brusatte Stephen L. , Norell Mark A.
Published: April 2018

Significance

Island-living animals often differ from close relatives and mainland contemporaries in unusual ways, as best demonstrated by modern and Cenozoic mammals that are dwarfed or evolved aberrant anatomical features. However, it is unclear whether mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs followed this same pattern. We describe the fossil skeleton of a previously undiscovered peculiar Cretaceous island-dwelling mammal from Romania, which has a domed skull and one of the smallest brains (proportional to body size) of any mammal, living or extinct, but retains enlarged regions of the brain related to sensory processing. These unusual features were probably related to the species’ island habitat and demonstrate that the ability to adapt to island environments developed early in mammalian history.
Enzymatic control of dioxygen binding and functionalization of the flavin cofactor
Authors: Saleem-Batcha Raspudin , Stull Frederick , Sanders Jacob N. , Moore Bradley S. , Palfey Bruce A. , Houk K. N. , Teufel Robin
Published: April 2018

Significance

Vitamins are often precursors for the biosynthesis of organic enzyme cofactors, as exemplified by the ubiquitous vitamin B2-derived flavins. Enzymes employ flavins, e.g., to oxygenate organic substrates with the help of covalent flavin–oxygen adducts that serve as oxygenating species. However, details of the preceding reaction of O
2
with the reduced flavin cofactor that gives rise to these oxygenating species remain scarce. We have now shown how a flavoenzyme interacts with O
2
and controls the formation of an oxygenating species as key to oxidative catalysis. This knowledge will be useful for the bioengineering of flavoenzymes and fine-tuning of their O
2
reactivity.
Agreement mismatches in Dutch relatives
Authors: Bouma Gosse
Published: April 2018

This paper investigates agreement mismatches in Dutch relatives. While the norm is that singular neuter nouns occur with the relative pronoundat‘that’, it is by now quite common to find neuter nouns combining with the relative pronoundie. A large Twitter corpus is used to study which linguistic variables makedie‘that’ in this context more likely. Lack of agreement between neuter noun and relative pronoun is very frequent in this corpus (37.5% of the cases, 46.8% if the preceding determiner is indefinite). Non-agreement is most common for nouns that are high in the animacy ranking, but it also occurs with other semantic classes, and there is quite a bit of lexical variation. Young, female users have a stronger tendency to use non-agreeing relative pronouns. Contrary to what previous work suggests, we do not find that users with a Moroccan or Turkish background have a stronger tendency towards non-agreement. A comparison of tweets with agreeing and non-agreeing pronouns and a comparison of the Twitter corpus with web data both suggest that non-agreement is characteristic of informal language use.
Scales or features in verb meaning?
Authors: Verhoeven Elisabeth
Published: April 2018

Several syntactic properties of verbal heads are accounted for through their semantic properties. Verbal features such as agentivity, volitionality, stativity etc. have been proven a useful tool for predicting several aspects of their syntactic behavior such as passivization, auxiliary selection etc. In the context of the empirical turn in current linguistics, the assumption of discrete features is questioned by studies based on corpora or speakers’ intuitions showing that the diagnostics of semantic features involve gradience. These findings are challenging for grammatical theory: are we justified to assume the existence of discrete verb classes or do the established properties indicate scalar dimensions of meaning? Based on two empirical studies – an acceptability study and a corpus study – the present article examines the role ofagentivityin distinguishing verb classes and in predicting the syntactic behavior of verbs in German. Acceptability data show that the diagnostics of agentivity involve gradience, which cannot be reduced to random sources of variation. However, a comparison of scalar vs. categorical models of agentivity based on these diagnostics reveals that the syntactic variation in word order found in written corpus data is best accounted for through a model that assumes a binary division into a ±agentive and a non-agentive verb class.
Accounting for syntactic variation in diachrony
Authors: Granvik Anton
Published: April 2018

This paper addresses the early variation in what has been called the [prep_que] variable in Spanish nominal complement clauses, i.e. the alternation betweende queandquein examples such asenseñal (de) quelo estimo, Zulema, este anillo ofrezco(CORDE) ‘as a sign that I appreciate You, Zulema, I offer this ring’. By applying several subsequent quantitative analyses on corpus instances of the sequences Nde queand Nque, the locus of variation is restricted to such an extent that the variation can largely be accounted for. A collostructional analysis identifies 31 central nouns of the Nde quecomplement clause construction. A diachronic cluster analysis delimits the temporal dimension of the variation to the 16th and 17th centuries. A distinctive collexeme analysis identifies nine nouns which are used in both constructional formats to a comparable degree:causa‘cause’,duda‘doubt’,esperanza‘hope’,fe‘faith’,opinión‘opinion’,recelo‘fear’,señal‘sign(al)’,sospecha‘suspicion’, andtemor‘fear’. Detailed contextual analysis of the use of these nine nouns by means of a mixed-effects logistic regression reveals that the use of the nouns with a determiner is correlated with thede quevariant, and the use of the nouns as part of complex predicates, as intener sospecha‘have suspicion’, is associated with thequevariant of the complement clause.
Growing up on the Trobriand Islands in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Senft Barbara , Senft Gunter
Published: April 2018

This volume deals with the children’s socialization on the Trobriands. After a survey of ethnographic studies on childhood, the book zooms in on indigenous ideas of conception and birth-giving, the children’s early development, their integration into playgroups, their games and their education within their `own little community’ until they reach the age of seven years. During this time children enjoy much autonomy and independence. Attempts of parental education are confined to a minimum. However, parents use subtle means to raise their children. Educational ideologies are manifest in narratives and in speeches addressed to children. They provide guidelines for their integration into the Trobrianders’ “balanced society” which is characterized by cooperation and competition. It does not allow individual accumulation of wealth – surplus property gained has to be redistributed – but it values the fame acquired by individuals in competitive rituals. Fame is not regarded as threatening the balance of their society.
Cryo-electron microscopy structures and progress toward a dynamic understanding of KATP channels
Authors: Puljung Michael C.
Published: April 2018

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)–sensitive K+ (KATP) channels are molecular sensors of cell metabolism. These hetero-octameric channels, comprising four inward rectifier K+ channel subunits (Kir6.1 or Kir6.2) and four sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1 or SUR2A/B) subunits, detect metabolic changes via three classes of intracellular adenine nucleotide (ATP/ADP) binding site. One site, located on the Kir subunit, causes inhibition of the channel when ATP or ADP is bound. The other two sites, located on the SUR subunit, excite the channel when bound to Mg nucleotides. In pancreatic β cells, an increase in extracellular glucose causes a change in oxidative metabolism and thus turnover of adenine nucleotides in the cytoplasm. This leads to the closure of KATP channels, which depolarizes the plasma membrane and permits Ca2+ influx and insulin secretion. Many of the molecular details regarding the assembly of the KATP complex, and how changes in nucleotide concentrations affect gating, have recently been uncovered by several single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structures of the pancreatic KATP channel (Kir6.2/SUR1) at near-atomic resolution. Here, the author discusses the detailed picture of excitatory and inhibitory ligand binding to KATP that these structures present and suggests a possible mechanism by which channel activation may proceed from the ligand-binding domains of SUR to the channel pore.
Deafness-associated mutation opens the gate to understanding
Authors: Sedwick Caitlin
Published: April 2018

New JGP study uncovers a connection between Connexin 26 fast and slow gates.
A Century of U.S. Farm Productivity Growth: A Surge Then a Slowdown
Authors: Andersen Matthew A , Alston Julian M , Pardey Philip G , Smith Aaron
Published: April 2018

U.S. farm productivity growth has direct consequences for sustainably feeding the world's still rapidly growing population, as well as U.S. competitiveness in international markets. Using a newly expanded compilation of multifactor productivity (MFP) estimates and associated partial‐factor productivity (PFP) measures, we examine changes in the pattern of U.S. agricultural productivity growth over the past century and more. Considering the evidence as a whole, we detect sizable and significant slowdowns in the rate of productivity growth in recent decades. U.S. multifactor productivity grew at an annual average rate of just 1.16% per year during 1990–2007 compared with 1.42% per year for the period 1910–2007. U.S. yields of major crops grew at an annual average rate of 1.17% per year for 1990–2009 compared with 1.81% per year for 1936–1990. More subtly, but with potentially profound implications, the relatively high rates of MFP growth during the third quarter of the century are an historical aberration relative to the long‐run trend.
PathwaySplice: an R package for unbiased pathway analysis of alternative splicing in RNA-Seq data
Authors: Yan Aimin , Ban Yuguang , Gao Zhen , Chen Xi , Wang Lily
Published: April 2018

Pathway analysis of alternative splicing would be biased without accounting for the different number of exons or junctions associated with each gene, because genes with higher number of exons or junctions are more likely to be included in the ‘significant’ gene list in alternative splicing. We present PathwaySplice, an R package that (i) Performs pathway analysis that explicitly adjusts for the number of exons or junctions associated with each gene; (ii) visualizes selection bias due to different number of exons or junctions for each gene and formally tests for presence of bias using logistic regression; (iii) supports gene sets based on the Gene Ontology terms, as well as more broadly defined gene sets (e.g. MSigDB) or user defined gene sets; (iv) identifies the significant genes driving pathway significance and (v) organizes significant pathways with an enrichment map, where pathways with large number of overlapping genes are grouped together in a network graph.

Availability and implementation

https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/PathwaySplice.html

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Large-scale Artemisinin–Piperaquine Mass Drug Administration With or Without Primaquine Dramatically Reduces Malaria in a Highly Endemic Region of Africa
Authors: Deng Changsheng , Huang Bo , Wang Qi , Wu Wanting , Zheng Shaoqin , Zhang Hongying , Li Di , Feng Danghong , Li Guoming , Xue Linlu , Yang Tao , Tuo Fei , Mohadji Fouad , Su Xin-zhuan , Xu Qin , Wu Zhibing , Lin Li , Zhou Jiuyao , Yan Hong , Bacar Affane , Said Abdallah Kamal , Kéké Rachadi A , Msa Mliva Ahamada , Mohamed Moussa , Wang Xinhua , Huang Shiguang , Oithik Fatihou , Li Xiao-bo , Lu Fangli , Fay Michael P , Liu Xiao-hong , Wellems Thomas E , Song Jianping
Published: April 2018

Background

Mass drug administration (MDA), with or without low-dose primaquine (PMQLD), is being considered for malaria elimination programs. The potential of PMQLD to block malaria transmission by mosquitoes must be balanced against liabilities of its use.

Methods

Artemisinin–piperaquine (AP), with or without PMQLD, was administered in 3 monthly rounds across Anjouan Island, Union of Comoros. Plasmodium falciparum malaria rates, mortality, parasitemias, adverse events, and PfK13 Kelch-propeller gene polymorphisms were evaluated.

Results

Coverage of 85 to 93% of the Anjouan population was achieved with AP plus PMQLD (AP+PMQLD) in 2 districts (population 97164) and with AP alone in 5 districts (224471). Between the months of April–September in both 2012 and 2013, average monthly malaria hospital rates per 100000 people fell from 310.8 to 2.06 in the AP+PMQLD population (ratio 2.06/310.8 = 0.66%; 95% CI: 0.02%, 3.62%; P = .00007) and from 412.1 to 2.60 in the AP population (ratio 0.63%; 95% CI: 0.11%, 1.93%; P < .00001). Effectiveness of AP+PMQLD was 0.9908 (95% CI: 0.9053, 0.9991), while effectiveness of AP alone was 0.9913 (95% CI: 0.9657, 0.9978). Both regimens were well tolerated, without severe adverse events. Analysis of 52 malaria samples after MDA showed no evidence for selection of PfK13 Kelch-propeller mutations.

Conclusions

Steep reductions of malaria cases were achieved by 3 monthly rounds of either AP+PMQLD or AP alone, suggesting potential for highly successful MDA without PMQLD in epidemiological settings such as those on Anjouan. A major challenge is to sustain and expand the public health benefits of malaria reductions by MDA.
Methotrexate for the Treatment of Pediatric Crohn’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Colman Ruben J , Lawton Rachel C , Dubinsky Marla C , Rubin David T
Published: April 2018

Background

Methotrexate (MTX) is an immunomodulator used for the treatment of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There are currently no RCTs that assess the treatment efficacy of methotrexate within the pediatric IBD patient population. This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses the efficacy of MTX therapy among the existing pediatric literature.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed using MEDLINE and the Cochrane library from inception until March 2016. Synonyms for ‘pediatric’, ‘methotrexate’ and ‘IBD’ were utilized as both free text and MESH search terms. The studies included contained clinical remission (CR) rates for MTX treatment of pediatric IBD patients 18 yrs old, as mono- or combination therapy. Case studies with <10 patients were excluded. Quality assessment was performed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis calculated pooled CR rates. A random-effects meta-analysis with forest plots was performed using R.

Results

Fourteen (11 monotherapy, 1 combination therapy, 2 both; n = 886 patients) observational studies were eligible out of 202 studies. No interventional studies were identified. The pooled achieved CR rate for pediatric CD patients on monotherapy within 3-6 months was 57.7% (95% CI 48.2-66.6%), (P =0.22; I2 = 29.8%). The CR was 37.1% (95% CI 29.5-45.5%), (P = 0.20; I2 = 37.4%) for maintenance therapy at 12 months. Sub-analysis could not identify CR differences between MTX administration types, thiopurine exposure.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis demonstrated that, over 50% of pediatric Crohn’s disease patients induced with methotrexate achieved clinical remission, while 12-month remission rate was only 37%. Prospective controlled interventional trials should assess treatment efficacy among patient subgroups.
Stratification for Multiplicative Character Sums
Authors: Xu Junyan
Published: April 2018

We prove a stratification result for certain families of n-dimensional (complete algebraic) multiplicative character sums. The character sums we consider are sums of products of r multiplicative characters evaluated at rational functions, and the families (with nr parameters) are obtained by allowing each of the r rational functions to be replaced by an “offset”, that is, a translate, of itself. For very general such families, we show that the stratum of the parameter space on which the character sum has maximum weight $n+j$ has codimension at least j⌊(r − 1)/2(n − 1)⌋ for 1 ≤ j ≤ n − 1 and ⌈nr/2⌉ for j = n. This result is used to obtain multivariate Burgess bounds in joint work with Lillian Pierce.
The ‘Abe Doctrine’: Japan’s new regional realism
Authors: Envall H D P
Published: April 2018

Since 2012, Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzō has sought to remake the country’s foreign and security policy. Abe’s agenda, which is increasingly called an ‘Abe Doctrine’, has prompted considerable debate as to its true nature. Is the Abe Doctrine nationalist, revisionist, or realist? This article contributes to these debates by tracing the competing characterizations of an Abe Doctrine’s policy ideas and assessing these against the doctrine’s policy prescriptions. It argues that the Abe Doctrine–situated within the long-term evolution of Japanese policymaking – is chiefly realist rather than nationalist in its policy prescriptions. In fact, where the doctrine does constitute a major departure from past policy practice, largely unrecognized until now, is not so much in how it expands Japan’s international role but in how it narrows this role. The underlying logic of the Abe Doctrine may therefore be pushing Japan towards a new form of regional realism.
The pulsationally modulated radial crossover signature of the slowly rotating magnetic B-type star ξ1 CMa
Authors: Shultz M , Kochukhov O , Wade G A , Rivinius Th
Published: April 2018

We report the latest set of spectropolarimetric observations of the magnetic β Cep star ξ1 CMa. The new observations confirm the long-period model of Shultz et al. (2017), who proposed a rotational period of about 30 years and predicted that in 2018 the star should pass through a magnetic null. In perfect agreement with this projection, all longitudinal magnetic field ⟨Bz⟩ measurements are close to 0 G. Remarkably, individual Stokes V profiles all display a crossover signature, which is consistent with ⟨Bz⟩ ∼ 0 but is not expected when v sin i ∼ 0. The crossover signatures furthermore exhibit pulsationally modulated amplitude and sign variations. We show that these unexpected phenomena can all be explained by a ‘radial crossover’ effect related to the star’s radial pulsations, together with an important deviation of the global field topology from a purely dipolar structure, that we explore via a dipole+quadrupole configuration as the simplest non-dipolar field.
Risk factors for death in kidney transplant patients: analysis from a large protocol biopsy registry
Authors: Abeling Tanja , Scheffner Irina , Karch Annika , Broecker Verena , Koch Armin , Haller Hermann , Schwarz Anke , Gwinner Wilfried
Published: April 2018

Background

Identification and quantification of the relevant factors for death can improve patients’ individual risk assessment and decision-making. We used a well-documented patient cohort (n = 892) in a renal transplant programme with protocol biopsies to establish multivariable Cox models for risk assessment at 3 and 12 months post-transplantation.

Methods

Patients transplanted between 2000 and 2007 were observed up to 11 years (total observation 5227 patient-years; median 5.9 years). Loss to follow-up was negligible (n = 15). A total of 2251 protocol biopsies and 1214 biopsies for cause were performed. All rejections and clinical borderline rejections in protocol biopsies were treated.

Results

Overall 10-year patient survival was 78%, with inferior survival of patients with graft loss and superior survival of patients with living-donor transplantation. Eight factors were common in the models at 3 and 12 months, including age, pre-transplant heart failure and a score of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, post-transplant urinary tract infection, treatment of rejection, new-onset heart failure, coronary events and malignancies. Additional variables of the model at 3 months included deceased donor transplantation, transplant lymphocele, BK virus nephropathy and severe infections. Graft function and graft loss were significant factors of the model at 12 months. Internal validation and validation with a separate cohort of patients (n = 349) demonstrated good discrimination of the models.

Conclusions

The identified factors indicate the important areas that need special attention in the pre- and post-transplant care of renal transplant patients. On the basis of these models, we provide nomograms as a tool to weigh individual risks that may contribute to decreased survival.
Emergence of Resistance to Colistin During the Treatment of Bloodstream Infection Caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase–Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Kanwar Anubhav , Marshall Steven H , Perez Federico , Tomas Myreen , Jacobs Michael R , Hujer Andrea M , Domitrovic T Nicholas , Rudin Susan D , Rojas Laura J , Kreiswirth Barry N , Chen Liang , Quinones-Mateu Miguel , van Duin David , Bonomo Robert A ,   Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group
Published: April 2018

We report the emergence of colistin resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)–producing Klebsiella pneumoniae after 8 days of colistin-based therapy, resulting in relapse of bloodstream infection and death. Disruption of the mgrB gene by insertion of a mobile genetic element was found to be the mechanism, which was replicated in vitro after exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of colistin and meropenem.
Over a thousand new periodic orbits of a planar three-body system with unequal masses
Authors: Li Xiaoming , Jing Yipeng , Liao Shijun
Published: April 2018

The three-body problem is common in astronomy, examples of which are the solar system, exoplanets, and stellar systems. Due to its chaotic characteristic, discovered by Poincaré, only three families of periodic three-body orbits were found in 300 years, until 2013 when Šuvakov and Dmitrašinović (2013, Phys. Rev. Lett., 110, 114301) found 13 new periodic orbits of a Newtonian planar three-body problem with equal mass. Recently, more than 600 new families of periodic orbits of triple systems with equal mass were found by Li and Liao (2017, Sci. China-Phys. Mech. Astron., 60, 129511). Here, we report 1349 new families of planar periodic orbits of the triple system where two bodies have the same mass and the other has a different mass. None of the families have ever been reported, except the famous “figure-eight” family. In particular, 1223 among these 1349 families are entirely new, i.e., with newly found “free group elements” that have been never reported, even for three-body systems with equal mass. It has been traditionally believed that triple systems are often unstable if they are non-hierarchical. However, all of our new periodic orbits are in non-hierarchical configurations, but many of them are either linearly or marginally stable. This might inspire the long-term astronomical observation of stable non-hierarchical triple systems in practice. In addition, using these new periodic orbits as initial guesses, new periodic orbits of triple systems with three unequal masses can be found by means of the continuation method, which is more general and thus should have practical meaning from an astronomical viewpoint.