bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Entwicklung der Palliativmedizinischen Dienste (PMD) in Bayern 2011–2015: Aufgaben, Akzeptanz, Struktur und Finanzierung
Authors: Anneser Johanna , Thurn Tamara , Borasio Gian
Published: May 2017

Einleitung Palliativmedizinische Dienste (PMD) bieten stationären Patienten aller Fachabteilungen palliativmedizinische Unterstützung an. Schwerkranke und sterbende Menschen, die in Häusern ohne eigene Palliativstation behandelt werden, können von diesen multiprofessionellen Teams ebenso profitieren wie Patienten, bei denen ein Aufenthalt in einer Palliativstation (noch) nicht notwendig erscheint. Bis Ende 2015 waren in Bayern 53 PMD genehmigt, die den Anforderungen des 2009 vom bayerischen Gesundheitsministerium erstellten Fachprogramms entsprachen.

Methoden Mittels eines postalisch versandten Fragebogens (2011) und einer Online-Umfrage (2015) baten wir alle zu diesen Zeitpunkten genehmigten bayerischen PMD, Fragen zu ihren Aufgaben, der Akzeptanz im eigenen Haus, zur Personalstruktur und Finanzierung zu beantworten. Neben Fragen, deren Zutreffen auf einer Skala von 0–10 zu beantworten war, wurde auch Raum für Freitextkommentare angeboten.

Ergebnisse Der Rücklauf 2011 betrug 77% (17 Bögen), 2015 53% (28). Insgesamt wurde die Organisationsform „PMD“ weitgehend als geeignetes Instrument erachtet, die Palliativversorgung im eigenen Haus zu verbessern (2011: Mittelwert 7,8 (0–10) ±1,9, 2015: 7,2 (0–10) ±2,3; n.s.). Die Akzeptanz durch die Abteilungen der eigenen Einrichtung wurde 2015 signifikant besser eingeschätzt (7,2±2,3) als noch 4 Jahre zuvor (5,7±2,2; p<0,05). Die PMDs nehmen vielfältige Aufgaben wahr, am häufigsten „stützende Gespräche“, „Begleitung in der Sterbephase“, „Schmerztherapie“ und „Entlassmanagement“. Dennoch war in den Teams ein Rückgang der Multiprofessionalität v. a. im Bereich Psychologie/Psychoonkologie und Seelsorge (p<0,05) zu beobachten. Wesentlich für die Finanzierung der Teams war in beiden Umfragen bislang das Zusatzentgelt ZE 60 für die „Palliativmedizinische Komplexbehandlung“. Insgesamt wurde die Finanzierung überwiegend als schwierig betrachtet: nur 29% der Dienste gaben 2015 an, kostendeckend zu arbeiten.

Schlussfolgerung PMD in Bayern nehmen wichtige Aufgaben in der Betreuung von schwerkranken und sterbenden Patienten und ihrer Familien wahr. Nach eigener Einschätzung nimmt deren Akzeptanz innerhalb der Einrichtungen zu. Es bleibt zu hoffen, dass Neuregelungen wie die 2017 eingeführte neue OPS 8–98 h (spezialisierte palliativmedizinische Komplexbehandlung durch einen Palliativdienst), eine solide Finanzierung sicherstellen ohne die notwendige multiprofessionelle Zusammensetzung der PMD zu gefährden.
Add-on Antidepressants in the Naturalistic Treatment of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder – When, Who, and How?
Authors: Schennach Rebecca , Obermeier Michael , Seemüller Florian , Jäger Markus , Schmauss Max , Laux Gerd , Pfeiffer Herbert , Naber Dieter , Schmidt Lutz , Gaebel Wolfgang , Klosterkötter Joachim , Heuser Isabella , Maier Wolfgang , Lemke Matthias , Rüther Eckart , Klingberg Stefan , Gastpar Markus , Spellmann Ilja , Musil Richard , Möller Hans-Jürgen , Riedel Michael
Published: May 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate antidepressant add-on treatment within the acute treatment of schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients.

Antidepressant add-on was evaluated in 365 patients within a naturalistic multicenter study. Patients with/without antidepressant add-on were compared regarding clinical and treatment-related variables, response and remission, and remission of depressive and negative symptoms. The efficacy of antidepressant add-on treatment was furthermore analyzed applying marginal structure models.

Twenty-three percent of the patients received antidepressant add-on for a mean duration of 50.28 (33.42) days. Patients with the diagnosis of a schizoaffective disorder, multiple illness episodes, and a longer duration of their illness as well as those with significantly fewer baseline positive symptoms, more negative and depressive symptoms, more side effects, and less subjective well-being were augmented with antidepressants. At discharge no significant effect of antidepressant add-on treatment was observed in terms of a 25% improvement (p=0.2623), a 50% improvement (p=0.3946), remission (p=0.0552), or remission of depressive (p=0.6336) and negative symptoms (p=0.8756). Also, when analyzing marginal structure models considering the diagnostic subgroups, no significant effect was found.

Add-on with antidepressants is common. A final recommendation in terms of this strategy’s efficacy cannot be given.
Laminar composite structures for high power actuators
Authors: Hobosyan M. A. , Martinez P. M. , Zakhidov A. A. , Haines C. S. , Baughman R. H. , Martirosyan K. S.
Published: May 2017

Twisted laminar composite structures for high power and large-stroke actuators based on coiled Multi Wall Carbon Nanotube (MWNT) composite yarns were crafted by integrating high-density Nanoenergetic Gas Generators (NGGs) into carbon nanotube sheets. The linear actuation force, resulting from the pneumatic force caused by expanding gases confined within the pores of laminar structures and twisted carbon nanotube yarns, can be further amplified by increasing NGG loading and yarns twist density, as well as selecting NGG compositions with high energy density and large-volume gas generation. Moreover, the actuation force and power can be tuned by the surrounding environment, such as to increase the actuation by combustion in ambient air. A single 300-μm-diameter integrated MWNT/NGG coiled yarn produced 0.7 MPa stress and a contractile specific work power of up to 4.7 kW/kg, while combustion front propagated along the yarn at a velocity up to 10 m/s. Such powerful yarn actuators can also be operated in a vacuum, enabling their potential use for deploying heavy loads in outer space, such as to unfold solar panels and solar sails.
Spatially resolved measurements of micro-deformations in granular materials using diffusing wave spectroscopy
Authors: Amon Axelle , Mikhailovskaya Alesya , Crassous Jérôme
Published: May 2017

This article is a tutorial on the practical implementation of a method of measurement of minute deformations based on multiple scattering. This technique has been recently developed and has proven to give new insights into the spatial repartition of strain in a granular material. We provide here the basics to understand the method by giving a synthetic review on diffusing wave spectroscopy and multiple scattering in granular materials. We detail a simple experiment using standard lab equipment to pedagogically demonstrate the implementation of the method. Finally we give a few examples of measurements that have been obtained in other works to discuss the potential of the method.
Role of quantum coherence in shaping the line shape of an exciton interacting with a spatially and temporally correlated bath
Authors: Dutta Rajesh , Bagchi Kaushik , Bagchi Biman
Published: May 2017

Kubo’s fluctuation theory of line shape forms the backbone of our understanding of optical and vibrational line shapes, through such concepts as static heterogeneity and motional narrowing. However, the theory does not properly address the effects of quantum coherences on optical line shape, especially in extended systems where a large number of eigenstates are present. In this work, we study the line shape of an exciton in a one-dimensional lattice consisting of regularly placed and equally separated optical two level systems. We consider both linear array and cyclic ring systems of different sizes. Detailed analytical calculations of line shape have been carried out by using Kubo’s stochastic Liouville equation (SLE). We make use of the observation that in the site representation, the Hamiltonian of our system with constant off-diagonal coupling J is a tridiagonal Toeplitz matrix (TDTM) whose eigenvalues and eigenfunctions are known analytically. This identification is particularly useful for long chains where the eigenvalues of TDTM help understanding crossover between static and fast modulation limits. We summarize the new results as follows. (i) In the slow modulation limit when the bath correlation time is large, the effects of spatial correlation are not negligible. Here the line shape is broadened and the number of peaks increases beyond the ones obtained from TDTM (constant off-diagonal coupling element J and no fluctuation). (ii) However, in the fast modulation limit when the bath correlation time is small, the spatial correlation is less important. In this limit, the line shape shows motional narrowing with peaks at the values predicted by TDTM (constant J and no fluctuation). (iii) Importantly, we find that the line shape can capture that quantum coherence affects in the two limits differently. (iv) In addition to linear chains of two level systems, we also consider a cyclic tetramer. The cyclic polymers can be designed for experimental verification. (v) We also build a connection between line shape and population transfer dynamics. In the fast modulation limit, both the line shape and the population relaxation, for both correlated and uncorrelated bath, show similar behavior. However, in slow modulation limit, they show profoundly different behavior. (vi) This study explains the unique role of the rate of fluctuation (inverse of the bath correlation time) in the sustenance and propagation of coherence. We also examine the effects of off-diagonal fluctuation in spectral line shape. Finally, we use Tanimura-Kubo formalism to derive a set of coupled equations to include temperature effects (partly neglected in the SLE employed here) and effects of vibrational mode in energy transfer dynamics.
Synthesis of very narrow multilayer graphene nanoribbon with turbostratic stacking
Authors: Negishi R. , Yamamoto K. , Kitakawa H. , Fukumori M. , Tanaka H. , Ogawa T. , Kobayashi Y.
Published: May 2017

A multilayer graphene nanoribbon (GNR) less than 20 nm wide was synthesized by overlayer growth of graphene on a GNR template. First, very narrow template GNRs with widths of approximately 10 nm were prepared by unzipping from double-walled carbon nanotubes. Additional 4–5 layers of graphene were then formed on the pristine GNR template by chemical vapor deposition. Raman spectroscopy revealed that the synthesized multilayer GNR had turbostratic stacking without any structural correlation between the graphene layers. A large on/off ratio and a high on-current were observed in field effect transistors fabricated using the synthesized multilayer GNR channel.
Strain modulated ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition in FeRh/BaTiO3 (001) heterostructures
Authors: Chen Jiahui , Ma Jing , Zhang Yujun , Bao Shanyong , Wu Liang , Liu Chen , Nan Ce-Wen
Published: May 2017

We report the elastically induced magnetic phase transition of FeRh thin films on BaTiO3 (001) at the successive phase transitions of BaTiO3, which is accompanied by abrupt variations of magnetization and resistance of FeRh at saturated magnetic fields. In-situ X-ray diffraction at different temperatures reveal that the compressive strains are induced accompanied by the tetragonal to orthorhombic and the orthorhombic to rhombohedral structural phase transition of BaTiO3 during cooling, due to the changes in the lattice constant and domain structure in different phases. The compressive strain further stabilizes the antiferromagnetic phase of FeRh and accounts for the magnetization and resistance changes.
2D all-solid state fabric supercapacitor fabricated via an all solution process for use in smart textiles
Authors: Jang Yunseok , Jo Jeongdai , Woo Kyoohee , Lee Seung-Hyun , Kwon Sin , Kim Kwang-Young , Kang Dongwoo
Published: May 2017

We propose a method to fabricate a supercapacitor for smart textiles using silver (Ag) nanoparticle (NP) ink, simple spray patterning systems, and intense pulsed light (IPL) sintering systems. The Ag NP current collectors provided as high conductivity as the metal current collectors. The spray patterning technique is useful for fabricating supercapacitors because it is simple, fast, and cheap. IPL systems reduced the sintering temperature of Ag NPs and prevented thermal damage to the textiles during the Ag NP sintering process. The two-dimensional (2D) all-solid state fabric supercapacitor with an interdigitated configuration, developed here, exhibited a specific capacitance of 25.7 F/g and an energy density of 1.5 Wh/kg at a power density of 64.3 W/kg. These results support the utility of our proposed method in the development of energy textiles.
Accessing thermo-mechanical properties of semiconductors using a pump-probe surface displacement method
Authors: González-Borrero P. P. , Lukasievicz G. V. B. , Zanuto V. S. , Astrath N. G. C. , Malacarne L. C.
Published: May 2017

Description of the physical mechanism leading to laser induced thermal and electronic effects in semiconductors is crucial in both basic research and technological applications. In this paper, we present a thermal mirror technique to study the thermo-mechanical properties of semiconductors. A detailed theoretical investigation is presented, and the dominant effects are described in terms of the physical properties of the material. The effect of heat coupling between the sample and the surrounding fluid was taken into account and considerations on the time and spatial approximations to the photogenerated carriers profile were used to simplify the theoretical model. These approximations were then compared to numerical models and the results hold for high recombination rate semiconductors. Experiments were performed to validate the theoretical model, and the thermal diffusivity and photogenerated heat in the sample were determined. The values obtained for these properties were found to be in good agreement with literature.
Modeling of light-induced degradation due to Cu precipitation in p-type silicon. I. General theory of precipitation under carrier injection
Authors: Vahlman H. , Haarahiltunen A. , Kwapil W. , Schön J. , Inglese A. , Savin H.
Published: May 2017

Copper contamination causes minority carrier lifetime degradation in p-type silicon bulk under illumination, leading to considerable efficiency losses in affected solar cells. Although the existence of this phenomenon has been known for almost two decades, ambiguity prevails about the underlying defect mechanism. In Paper I of this two-part contribution, we propose the first comprehensive mathematical model for Cu-related light-induced degradation in p-type silicon (Cu-LID). The model is based on the precipitation of interstitial Cu ions, which is assumed to be kinetically limited by electrostatic repulsion from the growing Cu precipitates. Hence, growth and dissolution rates of individual Cu precipitates are derived from the drift-diffusion equation of interstitial Cu and used in a kinetic precipitation model that is based on chemical rate equations. The kinetic model is interlinked to a Schottky junction model of metallic precipitates in silicon, enabling accurate calculation of the injection-dependent electric field enclosing the precipitates, as well as the precipitate-limited minority carrier lifetime. It is found that a transition from darkness to illuminated conditions can cause an increase in the kinetics of precipitation by five orders of magnitude. Since our approach enables a direct connection between the time evolution of precipitate size–density distribution and minority carrier lifetime degradation under illumination, a procedure for calculating the Cu-LID-related lifetime as a function of illumination time is included at the end of this article. The model verification with experiments is carried out in Paper II of this contribution along with a discussion of the kinetic and energetic aspects of Cu-LID.
Automatic optimization of drug cocktails on an integrated microfluidic system
Authors: Huang Wen-Yen , Liu Ching-An , Fan Rong-Syuan , Lin Zhi-Da , Wang Kuan , Lee Gwo-Bin
Published: May 2017

Drug cocktails have been popular for a variety of therapies of complicated diseases. Nevertheless, it is a tediously challenging task to optimize formulations, especially using traditional methods. Hence, an automatic system capable of precise dispensing multiple drugs is of great need. Herein, a new integrated microfluidic system combined with a two-axis traverse module was developed to dispense and mix a small amount of drug combination precisely and automatically. This on-chip dispensing process could be performed with a precise and accurate manner when compared to the manual operations. The efficacy of both single and multiple drugs could be examined through the developed microfluidic system with extremely low variation of drug formulations. Analysis of cell viabilities for normal and tumor cells was also performed to verify potential drug combinations. It is envisioned that this automatic system, which is flexible to combine with standard cell analysis methods and novel drug formulation algorithm, could provide precise and high-throughput drug cocktail formulations and expedite the drug screening processes.
Experimental evaluation of the generalized vibrational theory of G protein-coupled receptor activation
Authors: Hoehn Ross D. , Nichols David E. , McCorvy John D. , Neven Hartmut , Kais Sabre
Published: May 2017

Significance

Herein, we test the present iteration of the vibrational theory of protein activation by comparing predictions obtained from Turin’s vibrational theory for the activation of olfactory receptors measuring affinity and activation at a nonolfactory receptor family of G protein-coupled receptors. This was done at the CNS serotonin receptor family h5-HT2 and with both the 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine and
N
,
N
-dimethyllysergamide agonists. Invalidation was performed through a comparative analysis of agonist behavior between isotopologues.
Constructing ‘the French people’ – On Sarkozy’s populism
Authors: Mayaffre Damon , Scholz Ronny
Published: May 2017

Election campaigns represent a particular moment of political practice in democracies where political strategy and political discourse become one activity. Campaigns take effect through the speeches of candidates communicated to the electorate. This article analyses speeches of Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidential campaigns in 2007 and 2012. Based on text statistical methods developed in French discourse analysis it examines his political position and his rhetorical techniques. In comparison to other presidents of the Fifth Republic, Sarkozy’s discourse seems to be freed from typical party political positions. Whilst favouring direct encounters with the audience and pretending to speak to the whole nation he is embodying a form of populism which bestows his image of a charismatic leader.
Discursive double-legitimation of (avoiding) another war in Obama’s 2013 address on Syria
Authors: Mirhosseini Seyyed-Abdolhamid
Published: May 2017

This article explores legitimacy-building in United States President’s 2013 Address to the Nation on Syria. Based on a slightly modified version ofTheo van Leeuwen’s (2008)model of the discursive construction of legitimation and with a view of the war in Syria as the super-macro context of the Address, the investigation illustrates how the speech attempts to legitimate the prospect of a direct American military engagement in Syria on the one hand, and to justify avoiding another war that may prove too costly, on the other. Through the illustration of suchdouble-legitimationdiscursive practices, the study portrays how critical discourse studies can provide the ground for awareness of a delicate aspect of the discourse of politics and the rhetoric of politicians in shaping public consent and projecting an always-legitimate image of even contradictory political positions, decisions, and actions.
Critical Notice: Peter Ludlow’s Living Words: Meaning Underdetermination and he Dynamic Lexicon, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014
Authors: Sennet Adam , Fisher Tyrus
Published: May 2017

A provocative view has it that word meanings are underdetermined and dynamic, frustrating traditional approaches to theorizing about meaning. Peter Ludlow’s Living Words provides some of the philosophical reasons and motivations for accepting one such view, develops some of its details, and explores some of its ramifications. We critically examine some of the arguments in Living Words, paying particular attention to some of Ludlow’s views about the meanings of predicates, preservation of bivalence and the T-schema, and methods of modulating meaning.
Making post-Soviet counterpublics: the aesthetics ofLimonkaand the National-Bolshevik Party
Authors: Fenghi Fabrizio
Published: May 2017

This article focuses on the shaping of the aesthetics and ideology of Eduard Limonov's National-Bolshevik Party (NBP) through the pages of the radical newspaperLimonka.In order to study the making of the NBP as a political and intellectual community, the piece discussesLimonka's editorial line, its graphic style, and the alternative cultural canon that this radical publication promoted, as well as several interviews with National-Bolshevik activists involved in this process. During its first years of existence,Limonkaproposed a selection of controversial artistic, literary, and political role models, and the creation of an alternative fashion and lifestyle. The article argues that by provocatively combining totalitarian symbols, the aesthetics and posture of the historical avant-gardes, and Western counterculture,Limonkaproduced a collective narrative that contributed to the shaping of a new language of political protest in post-Soviet Russia. This resulted in a complex combination ofstiob, a form of parody that involves an over-identification with its own object, and a neo-romantic impulse. This new discursive mode, which the article defines as “post-Soviet militantstiob”should be seen as part of a series of tactics of radical resistance to what the National-Bolsheviks saw as the dominant neoliberal discourse of the mid-1990s.
Contemporary Russian nationalisms: the state, nationalist movements, and the shared space in between
Authors: Laine Veera
Published: May 2017

For several years, various nationalist groups and the Russian state have been competing over nationalism as a political concept and for popular support to nationalist claims. This paper analyzes the relationship between the state and anti-government, ethnocentric nationalistic groups that gather annually in an event called “the Russian March.” Emphasis is on the change in that relationship that happened in 2014, when the state added efforts to channel and mobilize the nationalists to its previous repressive and controlling measures. The article conceptualizes the competition over the nationalist argument in contemporary Russia as a case of dissentful and consentful contention in hybrid regimes, and shows how the dissentful nationalists have been forced to make way for the more consentful ones. Until recently, the room for maneuver for the radical nationalists was relatively wide. The events in Ukraine, however, divided the nationalists, and since 2014 radical nationalists have faced increased state repression. At the same time, pro-government nationalist actors have strengthened, and new players have appeared in the field. These developments tell us not only about the Kremlin's diminished tolerance for dissentful contention, but also about the importance of the nationalist argument in Russian politics today.
Interleukin 4 promotes the development of ex-Foxp3 Th2 cells during immunity to intestinal helminths
Authors: Pelly Victoria S. , Coomes Stephanie M. , Kannan Yashaswini , Gialitakis Manolis , Entwistle Lewis J. , Perez-Lloret Jimena , Czieso Stephanie , Okoye Isobel S. , Rückerl Dominik , Allen Judith E. , Brombacher Frank , Wilson Mark S.
Published: May 2017

Immunity to intestinal helminth infections requires the rapid activation of T helper 2 cells (Th2 cells). However, simultaneous expansion of CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (T reg cells) impedes protective responses, resulting in chronic infections. The ratio between T reg and effector T cells can therefore determine the outcome of infection. The redifferentiation of T reg cells into Th cells has been identified in hyperinflammatory diseases. In this study, we asked whether ex–T reg Th2 cells develop and contribute to type-2 immunity. Using multigene reporter and fate-reporter systems, we demonstrate that a significant proportion of Th2 cells derive from Foxp3+ cells after Heligmosomoides polygyrus infection and airway allergy. Ex-Foxp3 Th2 cells exhibit characteristic Th2 effector functions and provide immunity to H. polygyrus. Through selective deletion of Il4ra on Foxp3+ cells, we further demonstrate IL-4 is required for the development of ex-Foxp3 Th2 cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that converting T reg cells into Th2 cells could concomitantly enhance Th2 cells and limit T reg cell–mediated suppression.
Distance constraints on activation of TRPV4 channels by AKAP150-bound PKCα in arterial myocytes
Authors: Tajada Sendoa , Moreno Claudia M. , O’Dwyer Samantha , Woods Sean , Sato Daisuke , Navedo Manuel F. , Santana L. Fernando
Published: May 2017

TRPV4 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 4) channels are Ca2+-permeable channels that play a key role in regulating vascular tone. In arterial myocytes, opening of TRPV4 channels creates local increases in Ca2+ influx, detectable optically as “TRPV4 sparklets.” TRPV4 sparklet activity can be enhanced by the action of the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II (AngII). This modulation depends on the activation of subcellular signaling domains that comprise protein kinase C α (PKCα) bound to the anchoring protein AKAP150. Here, we used super-resolution nanoscopy, patch-clamp electrophysiology, Ca2+ imaging, and mathematical modeling approaches to test the hypothesis that AKAP150-dependent modulation of TRPV4 channels is critically dependent on the distance between these two proteins in the sarcolemma of arterial myocytes. Our data show that the distance between AKAP150 and TRPV4 channel clusters varies with sex and arterial bed. Consistent with our hypothesis, we further find that basal and AngII-induced TRPV4 channel activity decays exponentially as the distance between TRPV4 and AKAP150 increases. Our data suggest a maximum radius of action of ∼200 nm for local modulation of TRPV4 channels by AKAP150-associated PKCα.
Divergent roles of a peripheral transmembrane segment in AMPA and NMDA receptors
Authors: Amin Johansen B. , Salussolia Catherine L. , Chan Kelvin , Regan Michael C. , Dai Jian , Zhou Huan-Xiang , Furukawa Hiro , Bowen Mark E. , Wollmuth Lonnie P.
Published: May 2017

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), including AMPA receptor (AMPAR) and NMDA receptor (NMDAR) subtypes, are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate signaling at the majority of excitatory synapses in the nervous system. The iGluR pore domain is structurally and evolutionarily related to an inverted two-transmembrane K+ channel. Peripheral to the pore domain in eukaryotic iGluRs is an additional transmembrane helix, the M4 segment, which interacts with the pore domain of a neighboring subunit. In AMPARs, the integrity of the alignment of a specific face of M4 with the adjacent pore domain is essential for receptor oligomerization. In contrast to AMPARs, NMDARs are obligate heterotetramers composed of two GluN1 and typically two GluN2 subunits. Here, to address the function of the M4 segments in NMDARs, we carry out a tryptophan scan of M4 in GluN1 and GluN2A subunits. Unlike AMPARs, the M4 segments in NMDAR subunits makes only a limited contribution to their biogenesis. However, the M4 segments in both NMDAR subunits are critical for receptor activation, with mutations at some positions, most notably at the extreme extracellular end, completely halting the gating process. Furthermore, although the AMPAR M4 makes a minimal contribution to receptor desensitization, the NMDAR M4 segments have robust and subunit-specific effects on desensitization. These findings reveal that the functional roles of the M4 segments in AMPARs and NMDARs have diverged in the course of their evolution and that the M4 segments in NMDARs may act as a transduction pathway for receptor modulation at synapses.
Small RNA Functions Are Required for Growth and Development of Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Raman Vidhyavathi , Simon Stacey A. , Demirci Feray , Nakano Mayumi , Meyers Blake C. , Donofrio Nicole M.
Published: May 2017

RNA interference (RNAi) is conserved in eukaryotic organisms, and it has been well studied in many animal and plant species and some fungal species, yet it is not well studied in fungal plant pathogens. In the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, we examined small RNA (sRNA) and their biogenesis in the context of growth and pathogenicity. Through genetic and genomic analyses, we demonstrate that loss of a single gene encoding Dicer, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, or Argonaute reduces sRNA levels. These three proteins are required for the biogenesis of sRNA-matching genome-wide regions (coding regions, repeats, and intergenic regions). The loss of one Argonaute reduced both sRNA and fungal virulence on barley leaves. Transcriptome analysis of multiple mutants revealed that sRNA play an important role in transcriptional regulation of repeats and intergenic regions in M. oryzae. Together, these data support that M. oryzae sRNA regulate developmental processes including, fungal growth and virulence.
Pediatric nasal surgery: timing and technique
Authors: Gary Celeste C.
Published: May 2017

Purpose of review

Timing of pediatric nasal surgery has always been a controversial topic. Concern over disrupting growing parts of the face and causing permanent facial deformity has led to a primarily conservative approach. Many surgeons feel that it is prudent to wait until the patient has completed nasal growth after puberty to pursue nasal surgery.

Recent findings

Recently, this attitude has been challenged with evidence that not only is nasal surgery in the pediatric age group not a detriment to facial growth, but failure to correct significant nasal deformity may actually cause dysmorphic facial growth secondary to obligate mouth breathing. Because of this, recent studies have focused on determining safe surgical techniques for pediatric nasal surgery, including inferior turbinate reduction, septoplasty and rhinoplasty. Research focus on this topic has also been expanded to include quality-of-life measures after nasal surgery.

Pediatric nasal surgery prior to puberty is not only safe, but may prevent facial deformity in certain patients.
The evaluation of adolescent chest pain: a screening ECG or PSC-17?
Authors: Acra Patricia E. , Pérez María T.
Published: May 2017

Purpose of review

The present review offers an update on entities presenting as chest pain in the adolescent population. It discusses recently proposed tools and shared mental models used in primary and urgent care settings to evaluate chest pain, and their focus on identifying life-threatening processes. We consider whether the current practice may be improved by accounting for the increasingly recognized non-life-threatening causes of adolescent chest pain.

Recent findings

The present experiences and behaviors of adolescents have added new causes of chest pain to the work-up of this disquieting chief complaint. The initial approach to adolescent chest pain has classically focused on ruling out life-threatening entities, and current diagnostic algorithms offer systematic approaches with similar emphases. A growing body of literature on the nonlife-threatening causes of adolescent chest pain, often categorized as idiopathic, suggests a need to reevaluate our practice.

Adolescent chest pain is most often noncardiac and non-life threatening in nature, yet current diagnostic algorithms and evaluations emphasize identifying the exceptional case of cardiac chest pain. Familiarizing ourselves with the more common causes of chest pain and with our present approach to the evaluation of this particular chief complaint, may help us to better counsel our patients and avoid unnecessary use of valuable resources.
Creation of an Adult Observation Unit
Authors: Plamann Joy M. , Zedreck-Gonzalez Judith , Fennimore Laura
Published: May 2017

A growing segment of patients in hospitals are considered outpatients, classified as observation. These patients neither have the severity of illness nor the intensity of service to qualify as inpatients, yet are not well enough to be discharged. Hospitals have created observation units to address the clinical needs of this growing patient type to provide care in the right setting by managing emergency department throughput and utilizing the most efficient staffing resources. This article describes the change processes and improvements in quality, length of stay, and patient satisfaction, which occurred following the implementation of an adult observation unit.
A Subset of Malignant Mesotheliomas in Young Adults Are Associated With Recurrent EWSR1/FUS-ATF1 Fusions
Authors: Desmeules Patrice , Joubert Philippe , Zhang Lei , Al-Ahmadie Hikmat A. , Fletcher Christopher D. , Vakiani Efsevia , Delair Deborah F. , Rekhtman Natasha , Ladanyi Marc , Travis William D. , Antonescu Cristina R.
Published: May 2017

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a rare, aggressive tumor often associated with asbestos exposure and characterized by complex genetic abnormalities, including deletions of chromosome 22. A gene fusion involving EWSR1 and YY1 gene on 14q32 has been reported in 2 patients over the age of 60 with peritoneal MM. However, the incidence of EWSR1 rearrangements in MM and the spectrum of its fusion partners remain unknown. We recently encountered 2 MM cases with EWSR1-ATF1 fusions and sought to investigate the prevalence and clinicopathologic features associated with this abnormality. As both index cases occurred as intra-abdominal tumors in young adults, we searched our files for pleural and peritoneal MM occurring in adults younger than age of 40. All cases were tested by fluorescence in situ hybridization using custom bacterial artificial chromosomes probes for EWSR1, FUS, and ATF1 genes. When available, immunohistochemistry for BAP1 was performed. A total of 25 MM from patients aged 40 or less were screened, either from peritoneum (n=13) or pleura (n=12), with a median age of 31 (range: 7 to 40 y). Two additional ATF1-rearranged tumors were identified at pleural and peritoneal sites with EWSR1 and FUS as fusion partners, respectively, for a total of 4 cases (16%, 4/25). The fusion-positive cases displayed classic epithelioid morphology, immunoreactivity for cytokeratins and WT1, and negativity for S100. BAP1 expression was retained in the 3 fusion-positive cases with available material, and in 80% (12/15) of the fusion-negative cases. Our results expand the spectrum of tumor types harboring EWSR1/FUS-ATF1 gene fusions to include a subgroup of conventional epithelioid MM. Other features of this unique MM subset include young age at presentation, lack of asbestos exposure and retained BAP1 expression.
Sex Chromosome Dosage Effects On Gene Expression In Humans
Authors: Raznahan Armin , Parikshak Neelroop , Chandran Vijayendran , Blumenthal Jonathan , Clasen Liv , Alexander-Bloch Aaron , Zinn Andrew , Wangsa Danny , Wise Jasen , Murphy Declan , Bolton Patrick , Ried Thomas , Ross Judith , Giedd Jay , Geschwind Daniel
Published: May 2017

A fundamental question in the biology of sex-differences has eluded direct study in humans: how does sex chromosome dosage (SCD) shape genome function? To address this, we developed a systematic map of SCD effects on gene function by analyzing genome-wide expression data in humans with diverse sex chromosome aneuploidies (XO, XXX, XXY, XYY, XXYY). For sex chromosomes, we demonstrate a pattern of obligate dosage sensitivity amongst evolutionarily preserved X-Y homologs, and update prevailing theoretical models for SCD compensation by detecting X-linked genes whose expression increases with decreasing X- and/or Y-chromosome dosage. We further show that SCD-sensitive sex chromosome genes regulate specific co-expression networks of SCD-sensitive autosomal genes with critical cellular functions and a demonstrable potential to mediate previously documented SCD effects on disease. Our findings detail wide-ranging effects of SCD on genome function with implications for human phenotypic variation.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Sex chromosome dosage (SCD) effects on human gene expression are central to the biology of sex differences and sex chromosome aneuploidy syndromes, but challenging to study given the co-segregation of SCD and gonadal status. We address this obstacle by systematically modelling SCD effects on genome wide expression data from a large and rare cohort of individuals with diverse SCDs (XO, XX, XXX, XXXX, XY, XXY, XYY, XXYY, XXXXY). Our findings update current models of sex chromosome biology by (i) pinpointing a core set of X- and Y-linked genes with “obligate” SCD sensitivity, (ii) discovering several non-canonical modes of X-chromosome dosage compensation, and (iii) dissecting complex regulatory effects of X-chromosome dosage on large autosomal gene networks with key roles in cellular functioning.
Learning structural motif representations for efficient protein structure search
Authors: Liu Yang , Ye Qing , Wang Liwei , Peng Jian
Published: May 2017

Motivation

Understanding the relationship between protein structure and function is a fundamental problem in protein science. Given a protein of unknown function, fast identification of similar protein structures from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) is a critical step for inferring its biological function. Such structural neighbors can provide evolutionary insights into protein conformation, interfaces and binding sites that are not detectable from sequence similarity. However, the computational cost of performing pairwise structural alignment against all structures in PDB is prohibitively expensive. Alignment-free approaches have been introduced to enable fast but coarse comparisons by representing each protein as a vector of structure features or fingerprints and only computing similarity between vectors. As a notable example, FragBag represents each protein by a “bag of fragments”, which is a vector of frequencies of contiguous short backbone fragments from a predetermined library.

Results

Here we present a new approach to learning effective structural motif presentations using deep learning. We develop DeepFold, a deep convolutional neural network model to extract structural motif features of a protein structure. Similar to FragBag, DeepFold represents each protein structure or fold using a vector of learned structural motif features. We demonstrate that DeepFold substantially outperforms FragBag on protein structural search on a non-redundant protein structure database and a set of newly released structures. Remarkably, DeepFold not only extracts meaningful backbone segments but also finds important long-range interacting motifs for structural comparison. We expect that DeepFold will provide new insights into the evolution and hierarchical organization of protein structural motifs.

Availability

https://github.com/largelymfs/DeepFold

Contact

jianpeng@illinois.edu
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF KETOGENIC DIETS FOR CANCER PATIENTS – A REALIST REVIEW WITH FOCUS ON EVIDENCE AND CONFIRMATION
Authors: Klement Rainer J.
Published: May 2017

Background

Ketogenic diets (KDs) have gained popularity among patients and researchers alike due to their putative anti-tumor mechanisms. However, the question remains which conclusions can be drawn from the available human data thus far concerning the safety and efficacy of KDs for cancer patients.

Methods

A realist review utilizing a matrix-analytical approach was conducted according the RAMEsEs publication standards. All available human studies were systematically analyzed and supplemented with results from animal studies. Evidence and confirmation were treated as separate concepts.

Results

29 animal and 24 human studies were included in the analysis. The majority of animal studies (72%) yielded evidence for an anti-tumor effect of KDs. Evidential support for such effects in humans was weak and limited to individual cases, but a probabilistic argument shows that the available data strengthen the belief in the anti-tumor effect hypothesis at least for some individuals. Evidence for pro-tumor effects was lacking completely.

Conclusions

Feasibility of KDs for cancer patients has been shown in various contexts. The probability of achieving an anti-tumor effect seems greater than that of causing serious side effects when offering KDs to cancer patients. Future controlled trials would provide stronger evidence for or against the anti-tumor effect hypothesis.
The financial impact of retail store closure announcements
Authors: Chowdhury Jaideep , Sarkar Sourish
Published: May 2017

Purpose

While store closure announcements frequently appear in newspapers, little is known about the financial impact of store closure decisions on the retailer’s market value. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the stock market reaction to the announcements of retail store closure decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collect data from news articles on store closure announcements in the USA during 1995-2016. Using the four-factor model in an event study, the authors compute the abnormal stock returns for the retail firms due to these announcements.

Findings

Based on the authors’ analysis for sample and matching control firms, the abnormal stock returns for store closure announcements are found to be positive overall. The authors find evidence that the positive effects of the announcements are stronger, particularly for the firms which have positive sales growth at the time of the announcements. The authors also report that industry competition acts as a negative moderator in the relationship between announcements and financial impacts.

Practical implications

The authors’ analysis implies the investors’ positive sentiment of store closure announcements as a viable cost-cutting strategy, especially when it is done proactively by better performing retailers. The findings should be useful to the supply chain managers of retail industries in making store closure decisions.

Originality/value

This paper is believed to be the first to address the impact of retail store closure announcements on the stock market. The authors’ approach of categorizing the firms based on their sales growth seems to be the first in the event study literature on corporate restructuring.
Value creation models in the 3PL industry: what 3PL providers do to cope with shipper requirements
Authors: Marchet Gino , Melacini Marco , Perotti Sara , Sassi Chiara , Tappia Elena
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The resources and mechanisms required to complete a value proposition are generally considered as crucial aspects in designing a company business model. However, research in the third party logistics (3PL) arena concerned with studying how 3PL providers define their value creation architecture to meet different shippers’ requirements has so far been inadequate. The purpose of this paper is to fill the gap, providing a detailed investigation on how the 3PL providers’ capabilities and logistics expertise can add value to their shippers’ processes.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative exploratory research was conducted involving, first, a systematic combining process to understand the main factors and operational strategies whereby 3PL providers can create value and build a comprehensive framework of their value creation architecture. Second, a qualitative survey was conducted on 44 leading 3PL providers operating in Italy to understand how these providers can organise themselves to create value for shippers.

Findings

The 3PL providers’ value creation architecture is presented within a clear and comprehensive framework, together with 30 potential operational strategies that can be used by 3PL providers and the related factors that enable value to be created for shippers. Three main value creation models (volume-oriented 3PL providers, process-oriented 3PL providers and innovation-oriented 3PL providers) are identified. The importance of the different factors enabling value creation is highlighted for each model, identifying the distinctive operational strategies and those adopted most frequently.

Practical implications

From a managerial perspective, 3PL providers will find these results useful for developing suitable strategies to compete on the market. From their side, shippers can understand and evaluate how 3PL providers are able to offer value to their logistics processes, allowing them to select the logistics partner who best fits their needs.

Originality/value

The present paper fulfils the identified need of examining the 3PL providers’ business model in detail. A set of distinct value creation models is identified and thoroughly investigated to reveal the different competitive advantages available to shippers.
Precipitation and environmental constraints on three aspects of flowering in three dominant tallgrass species
Authors: Lemoine Nathan P. , Dietrich John D. , Smith Melinda D.
Published: May 2017

Flower production can comprise up to 70% of above‐ground primary production in grasslands. Yet we know relatively little about how the environment and timing of rainfall determine flower productivity. Evidence suggests that deficits or additions of rainfall during phenlologically relevant periods (i.e. growth, storage, initiation of flowering and reproduction) can determine flower production in grasslands.

We used long‐term data from the Konza Prairie LTER to test how fire, soil topography and precipitation amounts during four phenologically relevant periods of the growing season constrain three aspects of flowering in three dominant C4 grass species. Specifically, we examined the probability of flowering, flowering stalk density and individual flowering stalk biomass for Andropogon gerardii, Schizachyrium scoparium and Sorghastrum nutans.

We found that each of the three species responded to the amount of precipitation during phenologically relevant periods in unique ways. All aspects of A. gerardii flowering were sensitive to precipitation during the flowering stalk elongation period (20 June – 3 August). The probability of S. nutans flowering was partly determined by precipitation during the rapid growth phase (21 April – 4 June), whereas flowering stalk density of this species depended on rainfall during flowering stalk elongation (20 June – 3 August). In contrast, all aspects of flowering of S. scoparium were relatively independent of rainfall during any period.

Our results demonstrate that three functionally similar, co‐dominant C4 grass species respond differently to phenologically relevant precipitation periods. As a result, drought during any phenological window during the growing season can adversely impact biomass and flowering production of grasslands via species‐specific reductions in flowering stalk density and biomass.

A lay summary is available for this article.
Archaic man meets a marvellous automaton: posthumanism, social robots, archetypes
Authors: Jones Raya
Published: May 2017

Posthumanism is associated with critical explorations of how new technologies are rewriting our understanding of what it means to be human and how they might alter human existence itself. Intersections with analytical psychology vary depending on which technologies are held in focus. Social robotics promises to populate everyday settings with entities that have populated the imagination for millennia. A legend of A Marvellous Automaton appears as early as 350 B.C. in a book of Taoist teachings, and is joined by ancient and medieval legends of manmade humanoids coming to life, as well as the familiar robots of modern science fiction. However, while the robotics industry seems to be realizing an archetypal fantasy, the technology creates new social realities that generate distinctive issues of potential relevance for the theory and practice of analytical psychology.