bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural variation of alpha-synuclein with temperature by a coarse-grained approach with knowledge-based interactions
Authors: Mirau Peter , Farmer B. L. , Pandey R. B.
Published: July 2015

Despite enormous efforts, our understanding the structure and dynamics of α-synuclein (ASN), a disordered protein (that plays a key role in neurodegenerative disease) is far from complete. In order to better understand sequence-structure-property relationships in α-SYNUCLEIN we have developed a coarse-grained model using knowledge-based residue-residue interactions and used it to study the structure of free ASN as a function of temperature (T) with a large-scale Monte Carlo simulation. Snapshots of the simulation and contour contact maps show changes in structure formation due to self-assembly as a function of temperature. Variations in the residue mobility profiles reveal clear distinction among three segments along the protein sequence. The N-terminal (1-60) and C-terminal (96-140) regions contain the least mobile residues, which are separated by the higher mobility non-amyloid component (NAC) (61-95). Our analysis of the intra-protein contact profile shows a higher frequency of residue aggregation (clumping) in the N-terminal region relative to that in the C-terminal region, with little or no aggregation in the NAC region. The radius of gyration (Rg) of ASN decays monotonically with decreasing the temperature, consistent with the finding of Allison et al. (JACS, 2009). Our analysis of the structure function provides an insight into the mass (N) distribution of ASN, and the dimensionality (D) of the structure as a function of temperature. We find that the globular structure with D ≈ 3 at low T, a random coil, D ≈ 2 at high T and in between (2 ≤ D ≤ 3) at the intermediate temperatures. The magnitudes of D are in agreement with experimental estimates (J. Biological Chem 2002).
Band gap and defect states of MgO thin films investigated using reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy
Authors: Heo Sung , Cho Eunseog , Lee Hyung-Ik , Park Gyeong Su , Kang Hee Jae , Nagatomi T. , Choi Pyungho , Choi Byoung-Deog
Published: July 2015

The band gap and defect states of MgO thin films were investigated by using reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) and high-energy resolution REELS (HR-REELS). HR-REELS with a primary electron energy of 0.3 keV revealed that the surface F center (FS) energy was located at approximately 4.2 eV above the valence band maximum (VBM) and the surface band gap width (EgS) was approximately 6.3 eV. The bulk F center (FB) energy was located approximately 4.9 eV above the VBM and the bulk band gap width was about 7.8 eV, when measured by REELS with 3 keV primary electrons. From a first-principles calculation, we confirmed that the 4.2 eV and 4.9 eV peaks were FS and FB, induced by oxygen vacancies. We also experimentally demonstrated that the HR-REELS peak height increases with increasing number of oxygen vacancies. Finally, we calculated the secondary electron emission yields (γ) for various noble gases. He and Ne were not influenced by the defect states owing to their higher ionization energies, but Ar, Kr, and Xe exhibited a stronger dependence on the defect states owing to their small ionization energies.
Simulation of magnetic hysteresis loops and magnetic Barkhausen noise of α-iron containing nonmagnetic particles
Authors: Li Yi , Xu Ben , Hu Shenyang , Li Yulan , Li Qiulin , Liu Wei
Published: July 2015

The magnetic hysteresis loops and Barkhausen noise of a single α-iron with nonmagnetic particles are simulated to investigate into the magnetic hardening due to Cu-rich precipitates in irradiated reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. Phase field method basing Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation is used for this simulation. The results show that the presence of the nonmagnetic particle could result in magnetic hardening by making the nucleation of reversed domains difficult. The coercive field is found to increase, while the intensity of Barkhausen noise voltage is decreased when the nonmagnetic particle is introduced. Simulations demonstrate the impact of nucleation field of reversed domains on the magnetization reversal behavior and the magnetic properties.
Solution-grown small-molecule organic semiconductor with enhanced crystal alignment and areal coverage for organic thin film transistors
Authors: Bi Sheng , He Zhengran , Chen Jihua , Li Dawen
Published: July 2015

Drop casting of small-molecule organic semiconductors typically forms crystals with random orientation and poor areal coverage, which leads to significant performance variations of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). In this study, we utilize the controlled evaporative self-assembly (CESA) method combined with binary solvent system to control the crystal growth. A small-molecule organic semiconductor,2,5-Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-3,6-bis(5″-n-hexyl-2,2′,5′,2″]terthiophen-5-yl)-pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione (SMDPPEH), is used as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. By optimizing the double solvent ratios, well-aligned SMDPPEH crystals with significantly improved areal coverage were achieved. As a result, the SMDPPEH based OTFTs exhibit a mobility of 1.6 × 10−2 cm2/V s, which is the highest mobility from SMDPPEH ever reported.
Water-Soluble Copolypeptides with Oligo-Ethylene-Glycol and Benzyl Pendants: Synthesis, Characterization, and Thermoresponsive Properties
Authors: Yang Yu , Wu Yan , Li Ruirui , Ling Ying , Tang Haoyu
Published: July 2015

A series of random copolypeptides, i.e. poly(γ-propyl-l-glutamate)-graft-(oligo-ethylene-glycol)-random-poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate)s (PPLG-g-OEG3-ran-PBLG) with similar main chain lengths and various compositions of OEG and benzyl pendants were synthesized in three steps, including ring-opening polymerization of γ-chloropropyl-l-glutamic acid-based N-carboxyanhydride (CPLG-NCA) and γ-benzyl-l-glutamic acid-based N-carboxyanhydride (BLG-NCA), nucleophilic substitution in the presence of NaN3, and copper-mediated alkyne–azide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. 1H NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography results confirmed the molecular structures of the resulting copolypeptides and characterized their molar masses, molar mass distributions, and the OEG/benzyl compositions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and circular dichroism analysis revealed that PPLG-g-OEG3-ran-PBLG samples adopted α-helical conformations both in aqueous solution and solid state. Variable-temperature UV-visible spectroscopy revealed that PPLG-g-OEG3-ran-PBLG samples with high OEG molar content (x ≥ 0.57) possessed lower critical solution temperature-type phase transitions in water. The cloud point temperature, in the range of 22–53°C, can be readily obtained by controlling the OEG/benzyl composition.
A thermodynamic analysis of the feasibility of water secretion into xylem vessels against a water potential gradient
Authors: Wegner Lars H.
Published: July 2015

A series of recent publications has launched a debate on trans-membrane water secretion into root xylem vessels against a water potential gradient, energised by a cotransport with salts (e.g. KCl) that follow their chemical potential gradient. Cation–chloride–cotransporter -type transporters that function in this way in mammalian epithelia were detected in root stelar cells bordering on xylem vessels. Using literature data on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings, one study confirmed that K+ and Cl– gradients across stelar cell membranes favour salt efflux. Moreover, the energetic costs of putative water secretion into the xylem (required for maintaining ionic gradients) would amount to just 0.12% of the energy captured by photosynthetic C assimilation if transpirational water flow relied exclusively on this mechanism. Here, a detailed thermodynamic analysis of water secretion into xylem vessels is undertaken, including an approach that exploits its analogy to a desalinisation process. Water backflow due to the passive hydraulic conductivity of stelar cell membranes is also considered. By comparing free energy consumption by putative water secretion with (i) the free energy pool provided by root respiration and (ii) stelar ATPase activity, the feasibility of this mechanism is confirmed but is shown to depend critically on the plant’s energy status.
Preventing weed spread: a survey of lifestyle and commercial landholders about Nassella trichotoma in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Ruttledge A. , Whalley R. D. B. , Reeve I. , Backhouse D. A. , Sindel B. M.
Published: July 2015

Nassella trichotoma (Nees) Hack. ex Arechav. (common name, serrated tussock) occupies large areas of south-eastern Australia and has considerable scope for expansion in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. This highly invasive grass reduces pasture productivity and has the potential to severely affect the region’s economy by decreasing the livestock carrying capacity of grazing land. Other potential consequences of this invasion include increased fuel loads and displacement of native plants, thereby threatening biodiversity. Rural property owners in the Northern Tablelands were sent a mail questionnaire that examined use of measures to prevent new outbreaks of the weed. The questionnaire was sent to professional farmers as well as lifestyle farmers (owners of rural residential blocks and hobby farms) and 271 responses were obtained (a response rate of 18%). Key findings were respondents’ limited capacity to detect N. trichotoma, and low adoption of precautions to control seed spread by livestock, vehicles and machinery. This was particularly the case among lifestyle farmers. There have been considerable recent changes to biosecurity governance arrangements in New South Wales, and now is an ideal time for regulators and information providers to consider how to foster regional communities’ engagement in biosecurity, including the adoption of measures that have the capacity to curtail the spread of N. trichotoma.
The effects of a moratorium on land-clearing in the Douglas-Daly region, Northern Territory, Australia
Authors: Lawes M. J. , Greiner R. , Leiper I. A. , Ninnis R. , Pearson D. , Boggs G.
Published: July 2015

Land-clearing represents the first step in agricultural development and signals a shift in landscape function towards provisioning ecosystem services, in particular food production. In the process, other types of ecosystem services are often unintentionally lost as illustrated by the associated decline in biodiversity, increased soil erosion and emission of greenhouse gases. In 2003, the Northern Territory state government in Australia promulgated a moratorium on the clearing of native vegetation on freehold land in the Douglas-Daly river catchment, an area experiencing increasing pressure from agricultural development. The moratorium was intended to limit the rate and extent of land-clearing for a period of time so that informed policy could be concurrently developed to guide future land-clearing and minimise negative impacts. Under the moratorium, land-clearing required a permit and had to conform to broad guidelines; clearing was confined to freehold land, was prohibited in close proximity to wetlands, rivers and rainforest to safeguard water quality, and there were prescribed limits on percentages cleared by property, vegetation type, sub-catchment, and the whole catchment. Remotely sensed data (1977–2011) were used to explore the effectiveness of the moratorium. The analysis shows that, during moratorium years (2002–2009), clearing rates accelerated rather than slowed in the moratorium area and was mostly (81%) conducted without the required permits. The extent of land cleared after the moratorium was declared, and the fallow nature of some of this land a decade later, suggests that much of the land-clearing may have been completed in anticipation of stricter future controls. The moratorium failed because it was not formally legislated and was too broadly defined. Consequently, the non-binding nature of the land-clearing guidelines, and the absence of systematic monitoring of land cover change or penalties for clearing land without a permit, led to uninformed and uncontrolled clearing. This paper demonstrates that effective policy is only as good as its level of implementation.
The population dynamics of some arid zone plants during 46 years of grazing on Mileura Station, Western Australia
Authors: Davies S. J. J. F. , Kenny S. A. , Walsh T. F. M.
Published: July 2015

Grazed quadrats were monitored on Mileura Station, Western Australia from 1967 to 2013 in order to study the population dynamics of the perennial plants in two of the land systems on the property. Counts of plants on four quadrats at each of 10 sites were made in 1967, 1976, 1990 and 2013, and individual plants were traced for the first three samplings. Five sites were on the Sherwood land system and five on the Belele land system. The results indicated that the populations of some species in the mulga shrubland increased steadily over the 46 years of the study whereas the populations of other species, especially the small, short-lived shrubs, fluctuated over this period. A reduction in stocking rate from 1976 to 1990 was associated with an increase in the population of perennial plants; the total numbers for the 1976 count were 1506 compared with 2102 in 1990. Mean summer rainfall increased between 1990 and 2013 and this increase may have been associated with the recruitment. Overall, the study showed that commercial stocking, although at a lower rate than that recommended by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture, was compatible with increases in the populations of the perennial components of mulga shrubland in this region.
Interactions between wildlife, humans and cattle: activity patterns of a remnant population of impala on the degraded Mutara Rangelands, Rwanda
Authors: Wronski T. , Bariyanga J. D. , Apio A. , Plath M.
Published: July 2015

Large- to medium-sized African ungulates are often studied in conservation areas, ignoring the fact that most African landscapes are nowadays heavily impacted by agricultural and pastoralist practices. The present study emphasises the wealth of information obtained from studying a remnant population of a medium-sized ungulate, the impala (Aepyceros melampus), on degraded rangelands in Rwanda. Compared with impala occurring under similar climatic conditions in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, the study population showed a marked reduction in daytime activity, absence of a mid-day resting phase, and a slight increase in activity towards the late afternoon. This pattern was not directly correlated with daily variation in human activity. It is argued that hunting/poaching leads impala to seek shelter to such a degree that any daytime rhythmicity in activity patterns is lost and that increased afternoon activity reflects a shifted cost-benefit ratio of hiding versus foraging, as hungry individuals are more likely to take risks. Indeed, impala were more likely to encounter cattle herds and their herdsmen towards the afternoon. The study augments understanding of behavioural flexibility, potential for habituation and adaptation to human-induced habitat alterations in impala and highlights a possible function of rangelands as dispersal corridors for African wildlife populations.
Exploring appropriate livelihood alternatives for sustainable rangeland management
Authors: Gharibvand Hojatollah Khedri , Azadi Hossein , Witlox Frank
Published: July 2015

Rangeland degradation and vulnerability of livelihoods are two major challenges facing pastoralists, rangeland managers and policy-makers in arid and semi-arid areas. There is a need to make holistic informed decisions in order to protect rangelands and sustain livelihoods. Through a comprehensive literature review on rangeland management policies and livelihood strategies of ‘rangeland users’, it is shown how such policies have affected sustainable rangeland management, how strategies to sustain livelihoods have been incomplete and how there has been a lack of a multi-disciplinary approach in acknowledging them. Accordingly, a set of appropriate livelihood alternatives is introduced and, thenceforth, a framework for their evaluation is developed. Supportive strategies for enhancing resilience are discussed as a research and policy-making gap. In this study, the keys to achieve sustainable livelihoods are acknowledged as ‘livelihoods’ resilience’, where livelihoods need to be supported by access to capital, means of coping with the contexts of vulnerability as well as by enhancing policies, institutions and processes. The paper proposes a set of ‘livestock-based livelihoods’ regarding ‘traditional pastoralism’ as well as ‘their mitigation and adaptation’. Moreover, their transformation to ‘commercial pastoralism’, ‘resource-based livelihoods’, ‘alternative livelihoods’ and ‘migration’ strategies is recognised to be employed by rangeland users as useful alternatives in different regions and under future changing conditions including climate change. These strategies embrace thinking on resilience and are supported by strategies that address social and ecological consequences of climate change consisting of mitigation, adaptation and transformation. It is argued that sustainable livelihoods and sustainable rangeland management will be achieved if they are supported by policies that build and facilitate a set of appropriate livelihood alternatives and keep them in a sustainable state rather than being limited to supporting ‘vulnerable livelihoods’. Finally, future directions for analysing and policy-making in selecting the best alternative to achieve sustainable livelihoods are indicated.
Acoustic analysis of the rhotic contrast in Chicagoland Spanish
Authors: Henriksen Nicholas
Published: July 2015

This paper reports on an acoustic analysis of the phonemic tap-trill contrast (/ɾ/-/r/) for first and second generation speakers of Mexican Spanish who live in the Chicagoland area. First, it is shown that speakers most commonly produce phonemic trills with a single apical occlusion, although there is much individual variation. Second, nearly all speakers realize the tap-trill contrast by means of segmental duration, and this is especially true for speakers who favor zero or one closures in the phonemic trill. These data suggest that heritage speakers make use of the limits of phonetic variation to the extent that phonological contrasts are intact in their grammar. The findings have implications for disentangling the sources of individual variation in heritage pronunciation. Specifically, we propose that between-speaker instabilities in rhotic production result more directly from an inherently variable speech signal than from the language contact situation.
The Split Infinitive in Middle English
Authors: Calle-Martin Javier
Published: July 2015

A split infinitive construction denotes a type of syntactictmesisin which a word or a phrase, especially an adverb, occurs between the infinitive markertoand the verb. The early instances of the split infinitive in English date back to the 13th century, when a personal pronoun, an adverb or two or more words could appear in such environments (Visser 1963-1973 II: 1038-1045). This paper investigates the split infinitive in Middle English with the following objectives: a) to trace the origin and development of the construction; b) to analyse the nature of the splitting adverb in terms of its etymology and lexico-grammatical features; and c) to examine the prosodic patterns contributing to the acceptance of particular splitting combinations. The source of evidence comes from the following corpora:Helsinki Corpus of English Texts, Innsbruck Corpus of Middle English Prose, Penn-Parsed Corpora of Historical English, Middle English Medical Texts, Middle English Grammar Corpus, and the Malaga Corpus of Late Middle English Scientific Prose.
Worlds of the possible
Authors: Oatley Keith
Published: July 2015

The ability to think in abstractions depends on the imagination. An important evolutionary change was the installation of a suite of six imaginative activities that emerge at first in childhood, which include empathy, symbolic play, and theory-of-mind. These abilities can be built upon in adulthood to enable the production of oral and written stories. As a technology, writing has three aspects: material, skill based, and societal. It is in fiction that expertise in writing is most strikingly attained; imagination is put to use to create simulations of the social world that can usefully be offered to others. Fiction is best conceived as an externalization of consciousness, which not only enables us to understand others but also to transform ourselves so that we can reach beyond the immediate.
Bridging the gap between writing and cognition
Authors: Trybulec Marcin
Published: July 2015

The claim that the invention of literacy has cognitive consequences, so-called Literacy Theory, is subject to the criticism that it implies a form of technological determinism. This criticism, however, assumes an outdated Cartesian model of mind, a mind independent of the body and the external world. Such an internalistic framework leaves unexplored the cognitive consequences of the material dimension of writing. Therefore, in order to dismiss the accusations of technological determinism, the Cartesian model of mind and cognition needs to be reconsidered. The paper demonstrates how the framework of situated cognition helps to account for the cognitive consequences of written artifacts themselves. Material characteristics of written vehicles such as spatial and temporal stability of the content, fixity of information with reference to page boundaries, lightness and small size of paper sheets, and spatial layout of documents make up the most relevant material factors enabling the distribution of cognitive work.
Archaic lists, writing and mind
Authors: Watson Rita
Published: July 2015

Theories of writing and mind have proposed that the uses of literacy give rise to a distinct repertoire of cognitive skills, attitudes, and concepts. This paper reconsiders the earliest lexical lists of the Ancient Near East as one type of evidence on writing and mind. Past and present conceptions of the lists are briefly reviewed. Early views cast the lists as reflecting a Sumerian mentality or a uniquely literate mode of thought, while recent accounts suggest they may simply be routine scribal exercises. A view from the philosophy of science, on which lists are considered a sub-type of ordering system, suggests a way of aligning a scribal practice account with aspects of earlier views by articulating the nature of list entries and the intentions of the list makers. On this account, the Ancient Near Eastern lists can be seen both as uniquely literate and as uniquely informative on the role of writing in mind.
The Classical art of memory as immaterial writing
Authors: Landgráfová Renata
Published: July 2015

The Classical art of memory is analyzed as a form of mental writing. The ancient authors of works on the art of memory often likened their art to a sort of writing, and a careful analysis of the methods of formation ofagent images— the signs of the art of memory — shows that it very closely parallels the methods of sign formation in logophonetic writing systems (such as ancient Egyptian or Chinese). Thus the Classical art of memory can be viewed as an immaterial (and personalized) writing system.
Domain-specific cognitive development through written genres in a teacher education program
Authors: Bazerman Charles , Simon Kelly , Ewing Patrick , Pieng Patrick
Published: July 2015

Previous studies of initiatives in Writing to Learn and Writing Across the Curriculum/Writing in the Disciplines, while showing gains in knowledge retention and improvement in general writing skills, have not yet investigated the more fundamental issue of how writing supports development of domain-specific forms of thinking. Written samples were gathered from prospective teachers engaged in a year-long program of classroom observation and participation designed to advance their understanding of student success and failure. Ethnographic and quantitative methods provided evidence that their written accounts indicated an increased understanding that was aligned with the goals of the program.
Complex territories, complex circulations
Authors: Silva Daniel N. , Facina Adriana , Lopes Adriana Carvalho
Published: July 2015

The Complexo do Alemão, a group of 12 favelas in Rio de Janeiro, attracted the attention of Brazilian and International corporate media when the police and the army ‘pacified’ the favelas in 2010. Part of a broader political and economic project to make Rio de Janeiro ‘safe for large-scale events, pacification consists of seizing back territories from the control of drug dealers by installing permanent police units. This paper focuses on how different discourses on the ‘pacification’ of the Alemão simultaneously entextualized and projected trajectories of reception, interpellation and agency. It also delineates different and competing communicable maps (Briggs 2007) of these trajectories of signs. While looking at ethnographic evidence from local reception of mediatized signs and people’s own communicable maps, it draws attention to major gaps in communicable constructions of pacification, thus attempting to accentuate some complexities of Rio’s mainstream pragmatics of circulation.
The indeterminacy of the rule of law: what shapes the ideas by which judges rule?
Authors: May Chris
Published: July 2015

In this review of Jason Whitehead's new book Judging judges, I explore the four broad types of judicial grounds judges tend to adopt (in American courts, at least) when adjudicating cases, and the impact this might have on our understanding of the rule of law: formalism, good faith, cynicism, and rogue views. After briefly introducing the issue of adjudication and the rule of law, I conclude that Whitehead's interview grounded typology may be of great utility than merely the North American context of his empirical work might initially suggest. As such I argue that to understand the manner in which adjudication can support the rule of law, and how it might undermine it, we need to look at how judges are motivated to act, not merely examine their judgements, or the normal survey evidence.
The continuous wavelet transform and window functions
Authors: Pandey J. , Upadhyay S.
Published: July 2015

We define a window function

ψ
\psi

as an element of

L
2

(

R

n

)

L^2(\mathbb R^n)

satisfying certain boundedness properties with respect to the

L
2

(

R

n

)

L^2(\mathbb R^n)

norm and prove that it satisfies the admissibility condition if and only if the integral of

ψ
(

x
1

,

x
2

,
⋯
,

x
n

)

\psi (x_1,x_2,\cdots ,x_n)

with respect to each of the variables

x
1

,

x
2

,
⋯
,

x
n

x_1,x_2,\cdots ,x_n

along the real line is zero. We also prove that each of the window functions is an element of

L
1

(

R

n

)

L^1(\mathbb R^n)

. A function

ψ
∈

L
2

(

R

n

)

\psi \in L^2(\mathbb R^n)

satisfying the admissibility condition is a wavelet. We define the wavelet transform of

f
∈

L
2

(

R

n

)

f\in L^2(\mathbb R^n)

(which is a window function) with respect to the wavelet

ψ
∈

L
2

(

R

n

)

\psi \in L^2(\mathbb R^n)

and prove an inversion formula interpreting convergence in

L
2

(

R

n

)

L^2(\mathbb R^n)

. It is also proved that at a point of continuity of

f
f

the convergence of our wavelet inversion formula is in a pointwise sense.
High Prevalence of Hypertension in a Danish Population Telemedical Home Measurement of Blood Pressure in Citizens Aged 55–64 Years in Holstebro County
Authors: Hoffmann-Petersen Nikolai , Lauritzen Torsten , Bech Jesper Nørgaard , Pedersen Erling Bjerregaard
Published: July 2015

BACKGROUND

Home blood pressure (HBP) is prognostically superior to office BP (OBP) and similar to ambulatory BP measurements. We determined the prevalence of hypertension using HBP with telemedical data transmission in the municipality of Holstebro, Denmark (57,000 citizens).

METHODS

Using the Civil Registration System, we invited citizens aged 55–64 years to have their OBP and HBP measured using telemedical data transmission. Elevated OBP was defined as ≥140/90mm Hg. HBP was measured 3 times daily on 3 consecutive days with 3 measurements on each occasion. HBP was the mean of all measurements on day 1 and 3, and hypertension was defined as ≥135/85mm Hg.

RESULTS

We included 3,102 citizens who had performed at least 12 HBP measurements during day 2 and 3. Group 1: ( n = 1,464, 47%) had both normal OBP and HBP. Group 2: ( n = 838, 27%) had both elevated OBP and HBP indicating persistent hypertension. Group 3: ( n = 560, 18%) had elevated OBP and normal HBP indicating white coat hypertension (WCH). Group 4: ( n = 240, 8%) had normal OBP and elevated HBP indicating masked hypertension (MH). Thus, 1,078 (35%, groups 2 and 4) were untreated or insufficiently treated. Awareness of hypertension was registered in 950 patients (31%) and of these 49% had a normal HBP.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first large-scale study to eliminate completely reporting bias by using telemedical transmission of BP data. One third of citizens in the age group 55–64 years had an abnormally high HBP, and one fourth either had WCH or MH.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identification number: NCT02355392
Relationship Between Prehypertension/Hypertension and Periodontal Disease: A
Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Kawabata Yuya , Ekuni Daisuke , Miyai Hisataka , Kataoka Kota , Yamane Mayu , Mizutani Shinsuke , Irie Koichiro , Azuma Tetsuji , Tomofuji Takaaki , Iwasaki Yoshiaki , Morita Manabu
Published: July 2015

BACKGROUND

Most cross-sectional studies have found a significant positive relationship between periodontal disease and prehypertension/hypertension. However, these studies had limitations and there are few prospective cohort studies in young adults. The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to investigate whether periodontal disease was related to prehypertension/hypertension in Japanese university students.

METHODS

Students ( n = 2,588), who underwent health examinations before entering university and before graduation, were included in the analysis. The association between periodontal disease such as the percentage of bleeding on probing (BOP) and community periodontal index (CPI) scores, and change in blood pressure status was determined.

RESULTS

At the reexamination, the numbers of participants with prehypertension (systolic blood pressure 120–139mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure 80–89mm Hg) and hypertension (≥140/90mm Hg) were 882 (34.1%) and 109 (4.2%), respectively. In a logistic regression model, the risk of hypertension was significantly associated with male (odds ratio (OR): 6.31; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.63–15.13; P < 0.001), no habitual physical activity at baseline (OR: 2.90; 95% CI: 1.56–5.38; P < 0.01) and periodontal disease defined as the presence of both probing pocket depth (PPD) ≥ 4mm and BOP ≥ 30% at baseline (OR: 2.74; 95% CI: 1.19–6.29; P = 0.02) in participants with prehypertension at baseline. On the other hand, the risk of prehypertension was not associated with presence of periodontal disease (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.51–1.70; P = 0.82).

CONCLUSION

In the short-term prospective cohort study, a significant association between presence of periodontal disease and hypertension was observed in Japanese university students.
Change in Systolic Blood Pressure During Stroke, Functional Status, and Long-Term Mortality in an Elderly Population
Authors: Weiss Avraham , Beloosesky Yichayaou , Kenett Ron S. , Grossman Ehud
Published: July 2015

BACKGROUND

Elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) recorded by 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (24H BPM) on the first day of acute stroke is associated in elderly patients, with an unfavorable outcome. Herein, we assessed, by 24H BPM, the impact of the change in SBP levels during the first week of stroke on short-term functional status and long-term mortality in elderly patients.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty acute stroke patients (69 males), mean age at admission 83.6±5.5 years, 82% with ischemic stroke, were investigated. 24H BPM was recorded within 24 hours of admission and 1 week later. After 7 days, patients were assessed for functional status according to the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and were subsequently followed for mortality up to 7.5 years (mean 3.16±2.29).

RESULTS

After 7 days, SBP decreased from 147±21 to 140±20mm Hg ( P < 0.001). Functional status improved and mRS decreased from 4.2 to 3.7. During follow-up, 58 patients (17 males and 41 females) had died. Mortality rate was higher in females (69% vs. 45%; P < 0.01) and in patients with a history of congestive heart failure. The average admission SBP predicted short-term functional status and long-term mortality. However, the change in SBP corrected for admission levels, gender, age and other variables was not associated with short-term functional status and long-term mortality.

CONCLUSION

There is no evidence of association between change in SBP during the first week of stroke and short-term functional status and long-term mortality in this group of stroke patients.
The microRNA-221/-222 cluster balances the antiviral and inflammatory response in viral myocarditis
Authors: Corsten Maarten F , Heggermont Ward , Papageorgiou Anna-Pia , Deckx Sophie , Tijsma Aloys , Verhesen Wouter , van Leeuwen Rick , Carai Paolo , Thibaut Hendrik-Jan , Custers Kevin , Summer Georg , Hazebroek Mark , Verheyen Fons , Neyts Johan , Schroen Blanche , Heymans Stephane
Published: July 2015

Aims

Viral myocarditis (VM) is an important cause of heart failure and sudden cardiac death in young healthy adults; it is also an aetiological precursor of dilated cardiomyopathy. We explored the role of the miR-221/-222 family that is up-regulated in VM.

Methods and results

Here, we show that microRNA-221 (miR-221) and miR-222 levels are significantly elevated during acute VM caused by Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3). Both miRs are expressed by different cardiac cells and by infiltrating inflammatory cells, but their up-regulation upon myocarditis is mostly exclusive for the cardiomyocyte. Systemic inhibition of miR-221/-222 in mice increased cardiac viral load, prolonged the viraemic state, and strongly aggravated cardiac injury and inflammation. Similarly, in vitro, overexpression of miR-221 and miR-222 inhibited enteroviral replication, whereas knockdown of this miR-cluster augmented viral replication. We identified and confirmed a number of miR-221/-222 targets that co-orchestrate the increased viral replication and inflammation, including ETS1/2, IRF2, BCL2L11, TOX, BMF, and CXCL12. In vitro inhibition of IRF2, TOX, or CXCL12 in cardiomyocytes significantly dampened their inflammatory response to CVB3 infection, confirming the functionality of these targets in VM and highlighting the importance of miR-221/-222 as regulators of the cardiac response to VM.

Conclusions

The miR-221/-222 cluster orchestrates the antiviral and inflammatory immune response to viral infection of the heart. Its inhibition increases viral load, inflammation, and overall cardiac injury upon VM.
The High-Frequency Trading Arms Race: Frequent Batch Auctions as a Market Design Response *
Authors: Budish Eric , Cramton Peter , Shim John
Published: July 2015

The high-frequency trading arms race is a symptom of flawed market design. Instead of the continuous limit order book market design that is currently predominant, we argue that financial exchanges should use frequent batch auctions: uniform price double auctions conducted, for example, every tenth of a second. That is, time should be treated as discrete instead of continuous, and orders should be processed in a batch auction instead of serially. Our argument has three parts. First, we use millisecond-level direct-feed data from exchanges to document a series of stylized facts about how the continuous market works at high-frequency time horizons: (i) correlations completely break down; which (ii) leads to obvious mechanical arbitrage opportunities; and (iii) competition has not affected the size or frequency of the arbitrage opportunities, it has only raised the bar for how fast one has to be to capture them. Second, we introduce a simple theory model which is motivated by and helps explain the empirical facts. The key insight is that obvious mechanical arbitrage opportunities, like those observed in the data, are built into the market design—continuous-time serial-processing implies that even symmetrically observed public information creates arbitrage rents. These rents harm liquidity provision and induce a never-ending socially wasteful arms race for speed. Last, we show that frequent batch auctions directly address the flaws of the continuous limit order book. Discrete time reduces the value of tiny speed advantages, and the auction transforms competition on speed into competition on price. Consequently, frequent batch auctions eliminate the mechanical arbitrage rents, enhance liquidity for investors, and stop the high-frequency trading arms race.
Hospital employment of physicians and supply chain performance
Authors: Young Gary J. , Nyaga Gilbert N. , Zepeda E. David
Published: July 2015

Background:

As hospital employment of physicians becomes increasingly common in the United States, much speculation exists as to whether this type of arrangement will promote hospital operating efficiency in such areas as supply chain management. Little empirical research has been conducted to address this question.

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to provide an exploratory assessment of whether hospital employment of physicians is associated with better supply chain performance. Drawing from both agency and stewardship theories, we examined whether hospitals with a higher proportion of employed medical staff members have relatively better supply chain performance based on two performance measures, supply chain expenses and inventory costs.

Approach:

We conducted the study using a pooled, cross-sectional sample of hospitals located in California between 2007 and 2009. Key data sources were hospital annual financial reports from California’s Office of Statewide Health Policy and Development and the American Hospital Association annual survey of hospitals. To examine the relationship between physician employment and supply chain performance, we specified physician employment as the proportion of total employed medical staff members as well as the proportion of employed medical staff members within key physician subgroups. We analyzed the data using generalized estimating equations.

Findings:

Study results generally supported our hypothesis that hospital employment of physicians is associated with better supply chain performance.

Practical Implications:

Although the results of our study should be viewed as preliminary, the trend in the United States toward hospital employment of physicians may be a positive development for improved hospital operating efficiency. Hospital managers should also be attentive to training and educational resources that medical staff members may need to strengthen their role in supply chain activities.
Questionnaires Designed to Assess Knowledge of Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Vieira Ariany Marques , Costa Isabel Ziesemer , Oh Paul , Lima de Melo Ghisi Gabriela
Published: July 2015

Background:

The objectives of this systematic review were (1) to describe the psychometric properties of questionnaires designed to assess knowledge of heart failure (HF) patients and (2) to identify the most applicable questionnaire to assess knowledge of HF patients.

Methods:

A literature search of electronic databases was conducted from database inception to March 2014. Eligible articles included studies describing the development and psychometric testing of questionnaires designed to assess HF patients’ knowledge. Outcomes were based on the quality criteria for measurement properties of health status questionnaires. Articles were considered for inclusion by 2 authors independently.

Results:

Overall, 12 articles were included, of which 4 (33.33%) were considered “good” quality. Twelve original English-language instruments were identified. Content validity was described in 10 studies and presented positive ratings in all of them (83.33%); internal consistency in 10 studies and positive ratings in 5 (41.66%); construct validity in 5 and positive ratings in 4 (33.33%); responsiveness in 3 and positive ratings in 2 (16.66%); and reproducibility and floor effects in 1 with positive ratings. Based on our criteria, the Atlanta HF Knowledge Test was identified as the most applicable questionnaire to assess knowledge of HF patients.

Conclusion:

Psychometric properties of questionnaires assessing HF patients’ knowledge are poorly described in the literature. Although we identified the Atlanta HF Knowledge Test as the most promising instrument, it has methodological limitations. We recommend the researchers to use the questionnaire that best serves their research question and context.
Incomplete proteasomal degradation of green fluorescent proteins in the context of tandem fluorescent protein timers
Authors: Khmelinskii Anton , Meurer Matthias , Ho Chi-Ting , Besenbeck Birgit , Fueller Julia , Lemberg Marius K , Bukau Bernd , Mogk Axel , Knop Michael
Published: July 2015

Tandem fluorescent protein timers (tFTs) report on protein age through time-dependent change in color, which can be exploited to study protein turnover and trafficking. Each tFT, composed of two fluorescent proteins (FPs) that differ in maturation kinetics, is suited to follow protein dynamics within a specific time range determined by the maturation rates of both FPs. So far tFTs were constructed by combining different slower-maturing red fluorescent proteins (redFPs) with the same faster-maturing superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP). Towards a comprehensive characterization of tFTs, we compare here tFTs composed of different faster-maturing greenFPs, while keeping the slower-maturing redFP constant (mCherry). Our results indicate that the greenFP maturation kinetics influences the time range of a tFT. Moreover, we observe that commonly used greenFPs can partially withstand proteasomal degradation due to the stability of the FP fold, which results in accumulation of tFT fragments in the cell. Depending on the order of FPs in the timer, incomplete proteasomal degradation either shifts the time range of the tFT towards slower time scales or precludes its use for measurements of protein turnover. We identify greenFPs that are efficiently degraded by the proteasome and provide simple guidelines for design of new tFTs.
Cancer classification in the genomic era: five contemporary problems
Authors: Song Qingxuan , Merajver Sofia D , Li Jun Z.
Published: July 2015

Classification is an everyday instinct as well as a full-fledged scientific discipline. Throughout the history of medicine, disease classification is central to how we develop knowledge, make diagnosis, and assign treatment. Here we discuss the classification of cancer, the process of categorizing cancer subtypes based on their observed clinical and biological features. Traditionally, cancer nomenclature is primarily based on organ location, e.g., “lung cancer” designates a tumor originating in lung structures. Within each organ-specific major type, finer subgroups can be defined based on patient age, cell type, histological grades, and sometimes molecular markers, e.g., hormonal receptor status in breast cancer, or microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer. In the past 15+ years, high-throughput technologies have generated rich new data regarding somatic variations in DNA, RNA, protein, or epigenomic features for many cancers. These data, collected for increasingly large tumor collections, have provided not only new insights into the biological diversity of human cancers, but also exciting opportunities to discover previously unrecognized cancer subtypes. Meanwhile, the unprecedented volume and complexity of these data pose significant challenges for biostatisticians, cancer biologists, and clinicians alike. Here we review five related issues that represent contemporary problems in cancer taxonomy and interpretation. 1. How many cancer subtypes are there? 2. How can we evaluate the robustness of a new classification system? 3. How are classification systems affected by intratumor heterogeneity and tumor evolution? 4. How should we interpret cancer subtypes? 5. Can multiple classification systems coexist? While related issues have existed for a long time, we will focus on those aspects that have been magnified by the recent influx of complex multi-omics data. Ongoing exploration of these problems is essential for data-driven refinement of cancer classification and the successful application of these concepts in precision medicine.
When a PhD is not enough
Authors: Jones Hilary M , Warnock Lorna J
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– This paper outlines a doctoral internship programme introduced for students researching Mechanistic Biology in the Department of Biology, University of York, UK. The programme forms part of the White Rose Doctoral Training Programme (DTP), a collaboration between the three “White Rose” Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York in the North of England. It provides an analysis of the UK context in which the new biotechnology doctoral internships initiative sits and describes the pilot phase of the Professional Internship for PhD Students (PIPS) programme and the introduction of the full doctoral PIPS internship programme. The purpose of this paper is to examine best practice in the planning and management of internships with particular interest in doctoral programmes, with a discussion on the challenges presented by cognate and non-cognate internships.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses as a case study, the introduction of PIPS for the DTP in Mechanistic Biology, hosted by the White Rose Consortium of Universities (York, Sheffield and Leeds) and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). It also considers good practice from around the world, and relates these to the work-based learning literature.

Findings

– The paper outlines the processes and resources used to secure PIPS internships, and evaluates their success against BBSRC’s objective to help early career researchers to understand the context of their research and expose them to the range of opportunities available after graduation. The authors describe an initial pilot study, challenges and opportunities provided by the internships and feedback from students in the programme.

Research limitations/implications

– Though the number of students in the pilot study was very limited, all students had a greater awareness particularly of their leadership, project management, organisational and team working capabilities following the three-month internship and were more receptive to the consideration of careers outside of academia.

Originality/value

– The authors offer recommendations from their own experiences of initiating these doctoral internships which may be useful to others implementing non-cognate internship programmes at their own institutions, whilst being mindful that programmes in other countries may face different challenges.