bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elective removal of cervical cerclage and onset of spontaneous labor
Authors: Gomes da Costa Ana O.F. , Clode Nuno , Graça Luís M.
Published: April 2014

Objective

To determine the time interval between elective removal of cervical cerclage and onset of spontaneous labor.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 2005 and December 2012 at a tertiary care hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. All singleton pregnancies with a McDonald or Shirodkar cerclage electively removed at 36–37 weeks were evaluated for the time interval between cerclage removal and spontaneous labor. Delivery within 72 hours after cerclage removal was compared between patients with elective cerclage and those with non‐elective cerclage. In the non‐elective group, a sub‐analysis of the results for ultrasound‐ and physical examination‐indicated cerclage was performed.

Results

Thirty‐eight women were included. The time interval between cerclage removal and spontaneous labor did not differ significantly between the elective and the non‐elective group (15.6 ± 7.6 vs 10.9 ± 7.4 days; P = 0.063). A higher incidence of delivery 72 hours after cerclage removal was seen in the non‐elective group but this was not significant (P = 0.061). There were no differences regarding the time interval from elective removal of cervical cerclage to onset of spontaneous labor between ultrasound‐indicated and physical examination‐indicated cerclage.

Conclusion

Regardless of the indication for cervical cerclage, the probability of delivery soon after elective cerclage removal is low.
DNA extraction from filter‐paper spots of vaginal samples collected after sexual violence
Authors: Campos Elisabete A. , Pitta Denise R. , Costa Fernanda A. , Campos Vanessa M. , Yela Daniela , Fernandes Arlete
Published: April 2014

Objective

To detect the presence of male DNA in vaginal samples collected from survivors of sexual violence and stored on filter paper.

Methods

A pilot study was conducted to evaluate 10 vaginal samples spotted on sterile filter paper: 6 collected at random in April 2009 and 4 in October 2010. Time between sexual assault and sample collection was 4–48 hours. After drying at room temperature, the samples were placed in a sterile envelope and stored for 2–3 years until processing. DNA extraction was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction for human β‐globin, and the presence of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) was quantified. The presence of the Y chromosome was detected using primers for sequences in the TSPY (Y7/Y8 and DYS14) and SRY genes.

Results

β‐Globin was detected in all 10 samples, while 2 samples were positive for PSA. Half of the samples amplified the Y7/Y8 and DYS14 sequences of the TSPY gene and 30% amplified the SRY gene sequence of the Y chromosome. Four male samples and 1 female sample served as controls.

Conclusion

Filter‐paper spots stored for periods of up to 3 years proved adequate for preserving genetic material from vaginal samples collected following sexual violence.
Introduction of postabortion contraception, prioritizing long‐acting reversible contraceptives, in the principal maternity hospital of Gabon
Authors: Mayi‐Tsonga Sosthène , Obiang Pamphile Assoumou , Minkobame Ulysse , Ngouafo Doris , Ambounda Nathalie , de Souza Maria Helena
Published: March 2014

A prospective, descriptive, analytic study was conducted at the Centre Hospitalier de Libreville in Gabon between February and September 2013 to evaluate acceptance of long‐acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) and depot‐medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) following abortion. Women received counseling on the combined oral pill, DMPA, copper intrauterine devices (IUDs), and implants. The association between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, knowledge of contraceptives, and acceptance was analyzed. Of the 383 women admitted with abortion complications, 206 (53.7%) knew of no systemic contraceptives. The best‐known method was the oral pill (42.0%). Only 14 women (3.6%) knew of a LARC method (IUD or implants) and only 2 (0.5%) said the injectable was their best‐known method. Over 90% accepted a modern contraceptive method after abortion. Two‐thirds (66.8%) chose the pill, 14.6% DMPA, and 9.3% a LARC method. Only 9.1% of the women refused to initiate use of any method.
Expanding the use of manual vacuum aspiration for incomplete abortion in selected health institutions in Yaoundé, Cameroon
Authors: Tumasang Florence , Leke Robert J.I. , Aguh Valentine
Published: March 2014

Preference for manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and its use for the treatment of incomplete abortion were evaluated among 52 healthcare professionals in 7 Yaoundé hospitals in Cameroon. All but one healthcare professional preferred MVA; however, this technique was available at all times in only two hospitals. In some hospitals, MVA use was only available during the day, while in others it was not available at all. Based on these findings, MVA kits were obtained from the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) for training and to supply selected hospitals. The result was a dramatic increase in the use of MVA in all of the hospitals that received the kits. In one hospital, no kits were received; however, the staff had been sensitized to the problem and the equipment belonging to one of the physicians was put into service. The successful experience of this pilot project provides a rationale for expanding MVA use for incomplete abortion to the entire country.
Toona sinensis leaf aqueous extract displays activity against sepsis in both in vitro and in vivo models
Authors: Yang Chih‐Jen , Chen Yung‐Chia , Tsai Yee‐Jean , Huang Ming‐Shyan , Wang Chao‐Chuan
Published: April 2014

Toona sinensis (TS) leaves are used as a vegetable and in traditional Chinese medicine. However, in vivo experiments regarding the anti‐inflammatory function of TS leaves have not previously been conducted. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of TS leaf extract (TSL) in the prevention of sepsis‐induced lung injury in vivo and on macrophage activation in vitro. The results showed that oral gavage pretreatment with TSL in rats for 30 days improved the survival of cecal ligation and puncture‐induced sepsis, potentially by attenuating sepsis‐induced histological lung damage rather than inflammatory cell infiltration. Furthermore, we demonstrated that pretreatment with TSL attenuated the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, thereby inhibiting nitric oxide production and release in murine macrophage‐like RAW 264.7 cells. Interestingly, TSL did not affect the LPS‐induced release of other cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β) but increased LPS‐induced heme‐oxygenase‐1 expression. In conclusion, the study provides preliminary data for TSL on cecal ligation and puncture‐induced sepsis. The beneficial impact of TSL needs extensive study to get solid evidence.
Uncovering the structure and temporal dynamics of information propagation
Authors: RODRIGUEZ MANUEL GOMEZ , LESKOVEC JURE , BALDUZZI DAVID , SCHÖLKOPF BERNHARD
Published: April 2014

Time plays an essential role in the diffusion of information, influence, and disease over networks. In many cases we can only observe when a node is activated by a contagion—when a node learns about a piece of information, makes a decision, adopts a new behavior, or becomes infected with a disease. However, the underlying network connectivity and transmission rates between nodes are unknown. Inferring the underlying diffusion dynamics is important because it leads to new insights and enables forecasting, as well as influencing or containing information propagation. In this paper we model diffusion as a continuous temporal process occurring at different rates over a latent, unobserved network that may change over time. Given information diffusion data, we infer the edges and dynamics of the underlying network. Our model naturally imposes sparse solutions and requires no parameter tuning. We develop an efficient inference algorithm that uses stochastic convex optimization to compute online estimates of the edges and transmission rates. We evaluate our method by tracking information diffusion among 3.3 million mainstream media sites and blogs, and experiment with more than 179 million different instances of information spreading over the network in a one-year period. We apply our network inference algorithm to the top 5,000 media sites and blogs and report several interesting observations. First, information pathways for general recurrent topics are more stable across time than for on-going news events. Second, clusters of news media sites and blogs often emerge and vanish in a matter of days for on-going news events. Finally, major events, for example, large scale civil unrest as in the Libyan civil war or Syrian uprising, increase the number of information pathways among blogs, and also increase the network centrality of blogs and social media sites.
Kalaalimernit: the Greenlandic taste for local foods in a globalised world
Authors: Sowa Frank
Published: April 2014

In recent years, a decline in the consumption of local foods (kalaalimernit) can be observed in Greenland. However, its appreciation and symbolisation is increasing andkalaalimernitare a powerful contemporary symbol for being Greenlandic. The present article argues thatkalaalimernit, as a specifically Greenlandic taste, are suited to marking and maintaining a cultural boundary in relation to the Danish people living in the country, a boundary constructed through identity politics. As the empirical findings from fieldwork conducted in the Greenlandic capital Nuuk and the small coastal settlement Oqaatsut demonstrate, this construction is subject to social change. Greenlanders advocate two different narrative patterns regarding howkalaalimernitare to be understood that stem from contemporary definitional struggles over what kind of cultural boundary is deemed important to demarcate. The struggle illustrates two different perceptions of Greenland as either an indigenous people and/or a small Nordic nation.
Democracy before Tocqueville: Michel Chevalier's America
Authors: Jennings Jeremy
Published: April 2014

This article explores the writings of Michel Chevalier, a contemporary of Alexis de Tocqueville, on America. Despite widespread praise, Chevalier's text Lettres sur l'Amérique du Nord has been largely ignored in the scholarly literature. This article, therefore, reveals the nature of the account of America provided by Chevalier and, thereby, compares and contrasts his account with the more famous account penned by Tocqueville. In particular, it shows that Chevalier, viewing America from a Saint-Simonian background, was more aware of the economic dimensions of American culture and society than was Tocqueville. However, both recognized the differences that separated a democratic America from an aristocratic Europe and that the future lay with the former. The article concludes by examining the views of both Tocqueville and Chevalier on America in the wake of the Revolution of 1848, showing how America now figured as the model of a moderate republic for both authors.
Using hydrothermal time concepts to model seed germination response to temperature, dormancy loss, and priming effects in Elymus elymoides
Authors: Meyer Susan E. , Debaene-Gill Susan B. , Allen Phil S.
Published: April 2014

Hydrothermal time (HTT) describes progress toward seed germination under various combinations of incubation water potential ( ) and temperature (T). To examine changes in HTT parameters during dormancy loss, seeds from two populations of the bunchgrass Elymus elymoides were incubated under seven temperature regimes following dry storage at 10, 20 and 30°C for intervals from 0 to 16 weeks. Fully after-ripened seeds were primed for 1 week at a range of s. Data on germination rate during priming were used to obtain a HTT equation for each seed population, while data obtained following transfer to water were used to calculate HTT accumulation during priming. HTT equations accurately predicted germination time course curves if mean base water potential, b(50), was allowed to vary with temperature. b(50) values increased linearly with temperature, explaining why germination rate does not increase with temperature in this species. b(50) showed a linear decrease as a function of thermal time in storage. Slopes for the T × b(50) relationship did not change during after-ripening. This thermal after-ripening time model was characterized by a single base temperature and a constant slope across temperatures for each collection. Because the difference between initial and final b(50)s was uniform across tempera-tures, the thermal after-ripening requirement was also a constant. When seeds were primed for 1 week at −4 to −20 MPa, accumulation of HTT was a uniform 20% of the total HTT requirement. When primed at 0 to −4 MPa, HTT accumulation decreased linearly with decreasing priming potential, and a hydrothermal priming time model using a constant minimum priming potential adequately described priming effects. Use of these simple HTT relationships will facilitate modelling of germination phenology in the field.
Spatial fragmentation and bottom-up appropriations: the case of Safavid Isfahan
Authors: FALAHAT SOMAIYEH , SHIRAZI M. REZA
Published: April 2014

It is widely claimed that there was a clear spatial continuity in the evolution of the traditional Middle Eastern city, with every new development the result of an intelligent, albeit unplanned, evolution of pre-existing doctrines of construction. However, as far as the new Safavid urban development of seventeenth-century Isfahan (in Iran) is concerned, it is possible to distinguish a spatial fragmentation, in terms of urban pattern and urban structure, between the old texture and new extensions.
Language use affects food behaviours and food values among Mexican-origin adults in the USA
Authors: Langellier Brent A , Brookmeyer Ron , Wang May C , Glik Deborah
Published: April 2014

Objective

Previous studies have established that acculturation is associated with dietary intake among Mexican immigrants and their offspring, but few studies have investigated whether food purchasing, food preparation or food-related values act as mechanisms of dietary acculturation. We examine the relationship between language use and a wide range of food behaviours and food-related values among Mexican-American adults.

Design

Nationally representative probability sample of the US population.

Setting

2005–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Subjects

Mexican-American adults (n 2792) at least 20 years of age.

Results

Mexican Americans who speak only or mostly English consume more energy from fast-food and sit-down restaurants and report increased consumption of non-homemade meals, fast-food and pizza meals, frozen meals and ready-to-eat meals relative to Spanish speakers. English speakers prepare one fewer homemade dinner per week and spend less time on meal preparation. English speakers are more likely than Spanish speakers to cite convenience as an important reason why they prefer fast food over cooking at home. There is no relationship between language use and the perceived importance of the nutritional quality, price or taste of fast food.

Conclusions

Our results provide evidence that the well-documented relationship between acculturation and diet among Mexican Americans may be just one indicator of a broader pattern characterized by decreased home meal preparation and increased reliance on convenience foods.
Microbiome of prebiotic-treated mice reveals novel targets involved in host response during obesity
Authors: Everard Amandine , Lazarevic Vladimir , Gaïa Nadia , Johansson Maria , Ståhlman Marcus , Backhed Fredrik , Delzenne Nathalie M , Schrenzel Jacques , François Patrice , Cani Patrice D
Published: April 2014

The gut microbiota is involved in metabolic and immune disorders associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. We previously demonstrated that prebiotic treatment may significantly improve host health by modulating bacterial species related to the improvement of gut endocrine, barrier and immune functions. An analysis of the gut metagenome is needed to determine which bacterial functions and taxa are responsible for beneficial microbiota–host interactions upon nutritional intervention. We subjected mice to prebiotic (Pre) treatment under physiological (control diet: CT) and pathological conditions (high-fat diet: HFD) for 8 weeks and investigated the production of intestinal antimicrobial peptides and the gut microbiome. HFD feeding significantly decreased the expression of regenerating islet-derived 3-gamma (Reg3g) and phospholipase A2 group-II (PLA2g2) in the jejunum. Prebiotic treatment increased Reg3g expression (by ∼50-fold) and improved intestinal homeostasis as suggested by the increase in the expression of intectin, a key protein involved in intestinal epithelial cell turnover. Deep metagenomic sequencing analysis revealed that HFD and prebiotic treatment significantly affected the gut microbiome at different taxonomic levels. Functional analyses based on the occurrence of clusters of orthologous groups (COGs) of proteins also revealed distinct profiles for the HFD, Pre, HFD-Pre and CT groups. Finally, the gut microbiota modulations induced by prebiotics counteracted HFD-induced inflammation and related metabolic disorders. Thus, we identified novel putative taxa and metabolic functions that may contribute to the development of or protection against the metabolic alterations observed during HFD feeding and HFD-Pre feeding.
Microbial mediation of biogeochemical cycles revealed by simulation of global changes with soil transplant and cropping
Authors: Zhao Mengxin , Xue Kai , Wang Feng , Liu Shanshan , Bai Shijie , Sun Bo , Zhou Jizhong , Yang Yunfeng
Published: April 2014

Despite microbes’ key roles in driving biogeochemical cycles, the mechanism of microbe-mediated feedbacks to global changes remains elusive. Recently, soil transplant has been successfully established as a proxy to simulate climate changes, as the current trend of global warming coherently causes range shifts toward higher latitudes. Four years after southward soil transplant over large transects in China, we found that microbial functional diversity was increased, in addition to concurrent changes in microbial biomass, soil nutrient content and functional processes involved in the nitrogen cycle. However, soil transplant effects could be overridden by maize cropping, which was attributed to a negative interaction. Strikingly, abundances of nitrogen and carbon cycle genes were increased by these field experiments simulating global change, coinciding with higher soil nitrification potential and carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux. Further investigation revealed strong correlations between carbon cycle genes and CO2 efflux in bare soil but not cropped soil, and between nitrogen cycle genes and nitrification. These findings suggest that changes of soil carbon and nitrogen cycles by soil transplant and cropping were predictable by measuring microbial functional potentials, contributing to a better mechanistic understanding of these soil functional processes and suggesting a potential to incorporate microbial communities in greenhouse gas emission modeling.
A DERL3-associated defect in the degradation of SLC2A1 mediates the Warburg effect
Authors: Lopez-Serra Paula , Marcilla Miguel , Villanueva Alberto , Ramos-Fernandez Antonio , Palau Anna , Leal Lucía , Wahi Jessica E. , Setien-Baranda Fernando , Szczesna Karolina , Moutinho Catia , Martinez-Cardus Anna , Heyn Holger , Sandoval Juan , Puertas Sara , Vidal August , Sanjuan Xavier , Martinez-Balibrea Eva , Viñals Francesc , Perales Jose C. , Bramsem Jesper B. , Ørntoft Torben F. , Andersen Claus L. , Tabernero Josep , McDermott Ultan , Boxer Matthew B. , Heiden Matthew G. Vander , Albar Juan Pablo , Esteller Manel
Published: April 2014

Cancer cells possess aberrant proteomes that can arise by the disruption of genes involved in physiological protein degradation. Here we demonstrate the presence of promoter CpG island hypermethylation-linked inactivation of DERL3 (Derlin-3), a key gene in the endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation pathway, in human tumours. The restoration of in vitro and in vivo DERL3 activity highlights the tumour suppressor features of the gene. Using the stable isotopic labelling of amino acids in cell culture workflow for differential proteome analysis, we identify SLC2A1 (glucose transporter 1, GLUT1) as a downstream target of DERL3. Most importantly, SLC2A1 overexpression mediated by DERL3 epigenetic loss contributes to the Warburg effect in the studied cells and pinpoints a subset of human tumours with greater vulnerability to drugs targeting glycolysis.
A light-harvesting polyoxometalate-polypyridine hybrid induces electron transfer as its Re(i) complex
Authors: Santoni Marie-Pierre , Pal Amlan K. , Hanan Garry S. , Tang Marie-Christine , Furtos Alexandra , Hasenknopf Bernold
Published: April 2014

A polyoxometalate functionalized with bipyridine was successfully combined with a {Re(CO)3Br} moiety and the hybrid exhibits the intrinsic properties of both subunits.
Monometalated tribenzotriquinacene: exo and endo coordination of sodium and potassium with a rigid bowl-shaped hydrocarbon anion
Authors: Klett Jan
Published: April 2014

Monometalated tribenzotriquinacene forms an exo coordinated arrangement with sodium, while potassium is found in an endo position inside the bowl.
Use of solvent to regulate the degree of polymerisation in weakly associated supramolecular oligomers
Authors: Bähring Steffen , Kim Dong Sub , Duedal Troels , Lynch Vincent M. , Nielsen Kent A. , Jeppesen Jan O. , Sessler Jonathan L.
Published: April 2014

A tetrathiafulvalene functionalised calix[4]pyrrole (TTF-C[4]P; 1) and alkyl diester-linked bis-dinitrophenols (2–4) interact to form self-associated species whose character depends on linker length and solvent polarity.
Defocused differential interference contrast microscopy imaging of single plasmonic anisotropic nanoparticles
Authors: Ha Ji Won , Fang Ning
Published: April 2014

The scattered light from a gold nanorod aligned closer to the polarization directions enables us to resolve its spatial orientation under a defocused DIC microscope.
Synthesis and derivatization of highly-functionalized λ5-phospholes
Authors: Ruiz Javier , Gonzalo Marta P. , Vivanco Marilín , García-Granda Santiago
Published: April 2014

A variety of peripheral functionalities are present in λ5-phospholes prepared by regiospecific [3+2] cycloaddition reactions of diphosphinoketenimines with electron-poor alkenes.
Endoplasmic reticulumtargeted chemotherapeutics: the remarkable photo-cytotoxicity of an oxovanadium(iv) vitamin-B6 complex in visible light
Authors: Banerjee Samya , Dixit Akanksha , Shridharan Radhika N. , Karande Anjali A. , Chakravarty Akhil R.
Published: April 2014

An oxovanadium(iv) Schiff base vitamin-B6 complex of (acridinyl)dipyridophenazine shows ER-targeted photo-induced anticancer activity while being non-toxic in the dark and to normal cells.
Voltage-dependent structural changes of the membrane-bound anion channel hVDAC1 probed by SEIRA and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Kozuch Jacek , Weichbrodt Conrad , Millo Diego , Giller Karin , Becker Stefan , Hildebrandt Peter , Steinem Claudia
Published: April 2014

SEIRA spectroscopy provides insight into the potential-induced structural changes of the anion channel hVDAC1 embedded in the tethered bilayer lipid membrane.
Imaging and quantification of trans-membrane protein diffusion in living bacteria
Authors: Oswald Felix , L. M. Bank Ernst , Bollen Yves J. M. , Peterman Erwin J. G.
Published: April 2014

Analysis of single-membrane-protein trajectories obtained using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy in living bacteria provides profound insight into protein diffusive motion.
Absolute electron total ionization cross-sections: molecular analogues of DNA and RNA nucleobase and sugar constituents
Authors: Bull James N. , Lee Jason W. L. , Vallance Claire
Published: April 2014

Absolute gas-phase electron ionization cross-sections have been measured for functional group analogues of the nucleobase and sugar backbone constituents of DNA and RNA.
Flux-assisted synthesis of SnNb2O6 for tuning photocatalytic properties
Authors: Noureldine Dalal , Anjum Dalaver H. , Takanabe Kazuhiro
Published: April 2014

Flux assisted synthesis of SnNb2O6 facilitates growth along the (bc) plane, which alters photocatalytic properties.
Engineering self-assembled N-doped graphene–carbon nanotube composites towards efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalysts
Authors: Zhang Yun , Jiang Wen-Jie , Zhang Xing , Guo Lin , Hu Jin-Song , Wei Zidong , Wan Li-Jun
Published: April 2014

Tuning the composition of N-doped graphene–carbon nanotube composites can boost their electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction.
‘Auto-click’ functionalization for diversified copper(i) and gold(i) NHCs
Authors: Ibrahim Houssein , Gibard Clémentine , Hesling Cédric , Guillot Régis , Morel Laurent , Gautier Arnaud , Cisnetti Federico
Published: April 2014

A self-clicking precursor for diversified coinage metal NHCs.
Total synthesis of an anticancer norsesquiterpene alkaloid isolated from the fungus Flammulina velutipes
Authors: Kashinath K. , Jadhav Prakash D. , Reddy D. Srinivasa
Published: April 2014

Total synthesis of a norsesquiterpene alkaloid has been achieved in racemic and enantiopure forms for the first time.
Soya bean Gα proteins with distinct biochemical properties exhibit differential ability to complement Saccharomyces cerevisiae gpa1 mutant
Authors: Roy Choudhury Swarup , Wang Yuqi , Pandey Sona
Published: April 2014

Signalling pathways mediated by heterotrimeric G-proteins are common to all eukaryotes. Plants have a limited number of each of the G-protein subunits, with the most elaborate G-protein network discovered so far in soya bean (Glycine max, also known as soybean) which has four Gα, four Gβ and ten Gγ proteins. Biochemical characterization of Gα proteins from plants suggests significant variation in their properties compared with the well-characterized non-plant proteins. Furthermore, the four soya bean Gα (GmGα) proteins exhibit distinct biochemical activities among themselves, but the extent to which such biochemical differences contribute to their in vivo function is also not known. We used the yeast gpa1 mutant which displays constitutive signalling and growth arrest in the pheromone-response pathway as an in vivo model to evaluate the effect of distinct biochemical activities of GmGα proteins. We showed that specific GmGα proteins can be activated during pheromone-dependent receptor-mediated signalling in yeast and they display different strengths towards complementation of yeast gpa1 phenotypes. We also identified amino acids that are responsible for differential complementation abilities of specific Gα proteins. These data establish that specific plant Gα proteins are functional in the receptor-mediated pheromone-response pathway in yeast and that the subtle biochemical differences in their activity are physiologically relevant.
Canstatin induces apoptosis in gastric cancer xenograft growth in mice through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway
Authors: Xing Ya-Nan , Deng Peng , Xu Hui-Mian
Published: April 2014

Canstatin, the non-collagenous domain of collagen type IV α-chains, belongs to a series of collagen-derived angiogenic inhibitors. In this study, the inhibitory effect of recombinant canstatin on tumour growth was investigated using a gastric cancer xenograft model. The volume and weight of tumours in mice treated with canstatin were lower than that in mice treated with PBS. Accordingly, the survival rate of these mice was significantly higher than that of mice bearing tumours treated with PBS. Moreover, valuable insight into the mechanisms mediated by canstatin was obtained.
Variability in the Language Input to Children Enhances Learning in a Treatment Context
Authors: Plante Elena , Ogilvie Trianna , Vance Rebecca , Aguilar Jessica M. , Dailey Natalie S. , Meyers Christina , Lieser Anne Marie , Burton Rebecca
Published: April 2014

Purpose

Artificial language learning studies have demonstrated that learners exposed to many different nonword combinations representing a grammatical form demonstrate rapid learning of that form without explicit instruction. However, learners presented with few exemplars, even when they are repeated frequently, fail to learn the underlying grammar. This study translated this experimental finding in a therapeutic context.

Method

Eighteen preschool children with language impairment received conversational recast treatment for morpheme errors. Over a 6-week period, half heard 12 unique verbs twice each during recasts (low-variability condition), and half heard 24 unique verbs (high-variability condition). Children's use of trained and untrained morphemes on generalization probes as well as spontaneous use of trained morphemes was tracked throughout treatment.

Results

The high-variability condition only produced significant change in children's use of trained morphemes, but not untrained morphemes. Data from individual children confirmed that more children in the high- than the low-variability condition showed a strong treatment effect. Children in the high-variability condition also produced significantly more unique utterances containing their trained morpheme than children in the low-variability condition.

Conclusion

The results support the use of highly variable input in a therapeutic context to facilitate grammatical morpheme learning.
Temporal epilepsy seizures monitoring and prediction using cross‐correlation and chaos theory
Authors: Haddad Tahar , Ben‐Hamida Naim , Talbi Larbi , Lakhssassi Ahmed , Aouini Sadok
Published: April 2014

Temporal seizures due to hippocampal origins are very common among epileptic patients. Presented is a novel seizure prediction approach employing correlation and chaos theories. The early identification of seizure signature allows for various preventive measures to be undertaken. Electro‐encephalography signals are spectrally broken down into the following sub‐bands: delta; theta; alpha; beta; and gamma. The proposed approach consists of observing a high correlation level between any pair of electrodes for the lower frequencies and a decrease in the Lyapunov index (chaos or entropy) for the higher frequencies. Power spectral density and statistical analysis tools were used to determine threshold levels for the lower frequencies. After studying all five sub‐bands, the analysis has revealed that the seizure signature can be extracted from the delta band and the high frequencies. High frequencies are defined as both the gamma band and the ripples occurring within the 60–120 Hz sub‐band. To validate the proposed approach, six patients from both sexes and various age groups with temporal epilepsies originating from the hippocampal area were studied using the Freiburg database. An average seizure prediction of 30 min, an anticipation accuracy of 72%, and a false‐positive rate of 0% were accomplished throughout 200 h of recording time.
DCT domain feature extraction scheme based on motor unit action potential of EMG signal for neuromuscular disease classification
Authors: Doulah Abul Barkat Mollah Sayeed Ud , Fattah Shaikh Anowarul , Zhu Wei‐Ping , Ahmad M. Omair
Published: April 2014

A feature extraction scheme based on discrete cosine transform (DCT) of electromyography (EMG) signals is proposed for the classification of normal event and a neuromuscular disease, namely the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Instead of employing DCT directly on EMG data, it is employed on the motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) extracted from the EMG signal via a template matching‐based decomposition technique. Unlike conventional MUAP‐based methods, only one MUAP with maximum dynamic range is selected for DCT‐based feature extraction. Magnitude and frequency values of a few high‐energy DCT coefficients corresponding to the selected MUAP are used as the desired feature which not only reduces computational burden, but also offers better feature quality with high within‐class compactness and between‐class separation. For the purpose of classification, the K‐nearest neighbourhood classifier is employed. Extensive analysis is performed on clinical EMG database and it is found that the proposed method provides a very satisfactory performance in terms of specificity, sensitivity and overall classification accuracy.
Towards enhancing the performance of multi‐parameter patient monitors
Authors: Vaijeyanthi V. , Vishnuprasad K. , Kumar C. Santhosh , Ramachandran K.I. , Gopinath R. , Kumar A. Anand , Yadav Praveen Kumar
Published: April 2014

Multi‐parameter patient monitors (MPMs) have become increasingly important in providing quality healthcare to patients. It is well known in the medical community that there exists an intrinsic relationship between different vital parameters in a healthy person, these include heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate and oxygen saturation. For example, an increase in blood pressure would lead to a decrease in the heart rate, and vice versa. Although it is likely to improve the performance of MPM systems, this fact is not explored in engineering research. In this work, experiments show that deriving additional features to capture the intrinsic relationship between the vital parameters, the alarm accuracy (sensitivity), no‐alarm accuracy (specificity) and the overall performance of MPMs can be improved. The geometric mean of the product of all the vital parameters taken in pairs of two was used to capture the intrinsic relationship between the different parameters. An improvement of 10.55% for sensitivity, 0.32% for specificity and an overall performance improvement of 1.03% was obtained, compared to the baseline system using classification and regression tree with the four vital parameters.
Compressive sampling for time critical microwave imaging applications
Authors: Craven Darren , O'Halloran Martin , McGinley Brian , Conceicao Raquel C. , Kilmartin Liam , Jones Edward , Glavin Martin
Published: April 2014

Across all biomedical imaging applications, there is a growing emphasis placed on reducing data acquisition and imaging times. This research explores the use of a technique, known as compressive sampling or compressed sensing (CS), as an efficient technique to minimise the data acquisition time for time critical microwave imaging (MWI) applications. Where a signal exhibits sparsity in the time domain, the proposed CS implementation allows for sub‐sampling acquisition in the frequency domain and consequently shorter imaging times, albeit at the expense of a slight degradation in reconstruction quality of the signals as the compression increases. This Letter focuses on ultra wideband (UWB) radar MWI applications where reducing acquisition is of critical importance therefore a slight degradation in reconstruction quality may be acceptable. The analysis demonstrates the effectiveness and suitability of CS with UWB applications.
Tiefbissbehandlung einer erwachsenen Klasse II/2-Malokklusion mittels segmentierter Bogentechnik/Hebelarmmechanik – ein Fallbericht
Authors: Conze S.
Published: April 2014

Hinsichtlich einiger Faktoren, wie z. B. dem Zahnsubstanzverlust, ausgedehnten Restaurationen und parodontalem Abbau, stellt die Behandlung eines erwachsenen Patienten den Behandler vor besondere Herausforderungen und bedarf einer genauen kieferorthopädischen Behandlungsplanung und -mechanik ohne unerwünschte Nebenwirkungen. Im folgenden Fallbericht wird die Korrektur einer Klasse-II/2-Behandlung im Erwachsenenalter mittels Hebelarmmechanik erläutert. Der Lückenschluss wird mittels segmentierter Bogentechnik, einer altbewährten kieferorthopädischen Behandlungsmethode, durchgeführt. Durch Implantation im Unterkiefermolarenbereich wird das Fehlen eines weiteren Zahnes ergänzt.
Molecular dynamics study on effect of elongational flow on morphology of immiscible mixtures
Authors: Tran Chau , Kalra Vibha
Published: April 2014

We studied the effect of elongational flow on structure and kinetics of phase separation in immiscible blends using molecular dynamics simulations. Two different blend systems have been investigated—binary blend of polymers and binary mixture of molecular fluids. The interaction potential parameters in both material systems were chosen to ensure complete phase-separation in equilibrium. We found that elongational flow, beyond a certain rate, significantly alters the steady state morphology in such immiscible mixtures. For the case of polymer blends, perpendicular lamellar morphology was formed under elongation rates $(\dot \varepsilon)$(ɛ̇) from 0.05 to 0.5 MD units possibly due to the interplay of two opposing phenomena—domain deformation/rupture under elongation and aggregation of like-domains due to favorable energetic interactions. The elongation timescale at the critical rate of transition from phase-separated to the lamellar structure ($\dot \varepsilon $ɛ̇ = 0.05) was found to be comparable to the estimated polymer relaxation time, suggesting a cross-over to the elongation/rupture-dominant regime. Under strong elongational flow rate, $\dot \varepsilon $ɛ̇ > 0.5, the formation of disordered morphology was seen in polymer blend systems. The kinetics of phase separation was monitored by calculating domain size as a function of time for various elongational flow rates. The domain growth along the vorticity-axis was shown to follow a power law, Rz(t) ∼ t α. A growth exponent, α of 1/3 for the polymer blend and 0.5–0.6 for the fluid molecular mixture was found under elongation rates from 0.005 to 0.1. The higher growth exponent in the fluid mixture is a result of its faster diffusion time scale compared to that of polymer chains. The steady state end-to-end distance of polymer chains and viscosity of the polymer blend were examined and found to depend on the steady state morphology and elongation rate.
Multicomponent kinetic simulation of Bernstein–Greene–Kruskal modes associated with ion acoustic and dust-ion acoustic excitations in electron-ion and dusty plasmas
Authors: Hosseini Jenab S. M. , Kourakis I.
Published: April 2014

A series of numerical simulations based on a recurrence-free Vlasov kinetic algorithm presented earlier [Abbasi et al., Phys. Rev. E 84, 036702 (2011)] are reported. Electron-ion plasmas and three-component (electron-ion-dust) dusty, or complex, plasmas are considered, via independent simulations. Considering all plasma components modeled through a kinetic approach, the nonlinear behavior of ionic scale acoustic excitations is investigated. The focus is on Bernstein–Greene–Kruskal (BGK) modes generated during the simulations. In particular, we aim at investigating the parametric dependence of the characteristics of BGK structures, namely of their time periodicity (τtrap) and their amplitude, on the electron-to-ion temperature ratio and on the dust concentration. In electron-ion plasma, an exponential relation between τtrap and the amplitude of BGK modes and the electron-to-ion temperature ratio is observed. It is argued that both characteristics, namely, the periodicity τtrap and amplitude, are also related to the size of the phase-space vortex which is associated with BGK mode creation. In dusty plasmas, BGK modes characteristics appear to depend on the dust particle density linearly.
Conditions for diffusion-limited and reaction-limited recombination in nanostructured solar cells
Authors: Ansari-Rad Mehdi , Anta Juan A. , Arzi Ezatollah
Published: April 2014

The performance of Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) and related devices made of nanostructured semiconductors relies on a good charge separation, which in turn is achieved by favoring charge transport against recombination. Although both processes occur at very different time scales, hence ensuring good charge separation, in certain cases the kinetics of transport and recombination can be connected, either in a direct or an indirect way. In this work, the connection between electron transport and recombination in nanostructured solar cells is studied both theoretically and by Monte Carlo simulation. Calculations using the Multiple-Trapping model and a realistic trap distribution for nanostructured TiO2 show that for attempt-to-jump frequencies higher than 1011–1013 Hz, the system adopts a reaction limited (RL) regime, with a lifetime which is effectively independent from the speed of the electrons in the transport level. For frequencies lower than those, and depending on the concentration of recombination centers in the material, the system enters a diffusion-limited regime (DL), where the lifetime increases if the speed of free electrons decreases. In general, the conditions for RL or DL recombination depend critically on the time scale difference between recombination kinetics and free-electron transport. Hence, if the former is too rapid with respect to the latter, the system is in the DL regime and total thermalization of carriers is not possible. In the opposite situation, a RL regime arises. Numerical data available in the literature, and the behavior of the lifetime with respect to (1) density of recombination centers and (2) probability of recombination at a given center, suggest that a typical DSC in operation stays in the RL regime with complete thermalization, although a transition to the DL regime may occur for electrolytes or hole conductors where recombination is especially rapid or where there is a larger dispersion of energies of electron acceptors.
Conformational dynamics through an intermediate
Authors: Garai Ashok , Zhang Yaojun , Dudko Olga K.
Published: April 2014

The self-assembly of biological and synthetic nanostructures commonly proceeds via intermediate states. In living systems in particular, the intermediates have the capacity to tilt the balance between functional and potentially fatal behavior. This work develops a statistical mechanical treatment of conformational dynamics through an intermediate under a variable force. An analytical solution is derived for the key experimentally measurable quantity—the distribution of forces at which a conformational transition occurs. The solution reveals rich kinetics over a broad range of parameters and enables one to locate the intermediate and extract the activation barriers and rate constants.
Asymptotic theory of double layer and shielding of electric field at the edge of illuminated plasma
Authors: Benilov M. S. , Thomas D. M.
Published: April 2014

The method of matched asymptotic expansions is applied to the problem of a collisionless plasma generated by UV illumination localized in a central part of the plasma in the limiting case of small Debye length λD. A second-approximation asymptotic solution is found for the double layer positioned at the boundary of the illuminated region and for the un-illuminated plasma for the plane geometry. Numerical calculations for different values of λD are reported and found to confirm the asymptotic results. The net integral space charge of the double layer is asymptotically small, although in the plane geometry it is just sufficient to shield the ambipolar electric field existing in the illuminated region and thus to prevent it from penetrating into the un-illuminated region. The double layer has the same mathematical nature as the intermediate transition layer separating an active plasma and a collisionless sheath, and the underlying physics is also the same. In essence, the two layers represent the same physical object: a transonic layer.
Optimizations of composited acoustic sensors with a microfluidic channel
Authors: Zhang Hui , Jiang Guo-zhu , Liu Zhao-qun , Zhang Shu-yi , Fan Li
Published: April 2014

An acoustic sensor with composited transmission and reflecting structure is investigated for detection in liquid medium, in which a temperature compensational layer is deposited on the Si wafer to create a low temperature coefficient of frequency. This type of structure regulates most acoustic energy into the substrate, i.e., Si wafer and the compensational layer. Consequently, the standing resonant vibrations in the substrate are induced, as its thickness is integer multiples of a half wavelength. The acoustic sensor shows a low frequency shift with temperature, and the temperature coefficient of frequency can be controlled to about zero at the room temperature. Additionally, the acoustic sensor for the liquid detection on the viscosity and mass can be estimated 35 kHz/Pa · s and 23.25 kHz cm2/ng, respectively.
Exciton transitions and oxygen as a donor in m-plane AlN homoepitaxial films
Authors: Bryan Zachary , Bryan Isaac , Bobea Milena , Hussey Lindsay , Kirste Ronny , Sitar Zlatko , Collazo Ramón
Published: April 2014

High-resolution photoluminescence studies on m-plane (1-100) homoepitaxial films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on AlN revealed several sharp donor-bound exciton (DBX) peaks with a full width at half maximum as narrow as 550 μeV. Power dependent photoluminescence distinguished DBXs tied to the Γ5 free exciton (FX) from those tied to the Γ1 FX. Both the n = 2 and n = 1 excited states of the Γ5 and Γ1 were resolved, giving binding energies of 52 meV and 55 meV, respectively. The DBX transition at 6.006 eV was identified as originating from the neutral-donor-oxygen (O0X). This assignment was based on secondary ion mass spectroscopy measurements, peak position with respect to the Si0X, and deep defect luminescence peaks located at 3.25 eV and 3.58 eV.
Tunable magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in heavy rare-earth based metallic glasses through the substitution of similar elements
Authors: Zhang Huiyan , Li Ran , Zhang Leilei , Zhang Tao
Published: April 2014

The influence of interchangeable substitution of similar heavy rare-earth-elements (HRE), i.e., Gd-Ho, Gd-Er, and Ho-Er, on the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of HRE55Al27.5Co17.5 metallic glasses was evaluated. The magnetic transition temperature (TC) can be tuned in a wide temperature range from 8 K to 93 K by adjusting the substitutional concentration in the resulting metallic glasses. A roughly linear correlation between peak value of magnetic entropy change (|ΔSMpk|) and TC−2/3 was obtained in the three systems. This kind of substitutional adjustment provides a useful method for designing desirable candidates in metallic glasses with high magnetic entropy change, large magnetic cooling efficiency, and tunable TC for magnetic refrigerant in nitrogen and hydrogen liquefaction temperature ranges.
An effective approach for the minimization of errors in capacitance-voltage carrier profiling of quantum structures
Authors: Biswas Dipankar , Panda Siddhartha
Published: April 2014

Experimental capacitance–voltage (C-V) profiling of semiconductor heterojunctions and quantum wells has remained ever important and relevant. The apparent carrier distributions (ACDs) thus obtained reveal the carrier depletions, carrier peaks and their positions, in and around the quantum structures. Inevitable errors, encountered in such measurements, are the deviations of the peak concentrations of the ACDs and their positions, from the actual carrier peaks obtained from quantum mechanical computations with the fundamental parameters. In spite of the very wide use of the C-V method, comprehensive discussions on the qualitative and quantitative nature of the errors remain wanting. The errors are dependent on the fundamental parameters, the temperature of measurements, the Debye length, and the series resistance. In this paper, the errors have been studied with doping concentration, band offset, and temperature. From this study, a rough estimate may be drawn about the error. It is seen that the error in the position of the ACD peak decreases at higher doping, higher band offset, and lower temperature, whereas the error in the peak concentration changes in a strange fashion. A completely new method is introduced, for derivation of the carrier profiles from C-V measurements on quantum structures to minimize errors which are inevitable in the conventional formulation.