bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does an intervention designed to improve self‐management, social support and awareness of palliative‐care address needs of persons with heart failure, family caregivers and clinicians?
Authors: Sebern Margaret D. , Sulemanjee Nasir , Sebern Mark J. , Garnier‐Villarreal Mauricio , Whitlatch Carol J.
Published: October 2017

Aims and Objectives

To conduct a formative evaluation of the iPad‐Enhanced Shared Care Intervention for Partners (iSCIP) among persons with heart failure (HF), family caregivers and clinicians. Together, persons with HF and family caregivers are referred to as partners.

Background

There is growing awareness of the caregiver's contributions to HF self‐management, social support and reciprocal benefits of interventions that involve both partners. The iSCIP engages both partners in a six‐session psychosocial intervention to address three preventable causes of poor outcomes in a HF population: poor self‐management skills, inadequate social support and underutilisation of palliative care. An iPad app is used to organise the intervention. The goals of the iSCIP are to engage partners in HF self‐management, communication about the HF patient's care values and preferences, and future planning.

Design

A qualitative focus group design was used.

Methods

Seven clinicians and eight partners participated in focus groups to explore their experiences, needs and reaction to the iSCIP content and technologies employed. Open‐ended questions and closed‐ended surveys were used to collect data. Deductive content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. NVivo software was used for qualitative data analysis. Bayesian statistical models were used to analyse numeric data.

Results

The iSCIP met partners’ and clinicians’ needs to improve self‐management, communicate about care values and preferences and plan for the future. Quantitative analysis of numeric data supported our qualitative findings, in that both groups rated the intervention components useful to very useful.

Implications for practice

These findings add to the growing evidence of the feasibility and acceptability of programs that address care values and preferences, and care planning. The iSCIP can be used as a guide for developing interventions and software applications, which involve both partners in care and palliative‐care discussions.
Living with an indwelling urethral catheter in a community setting: Exploring triggers for unscheduled community nurse “out‐of‐hours” visits
Authors: Mackay William G , MacIntosh Teresa , Kydd Angela , Fleming Anne , O'Kane Cate , Shepherd Ashley , Hagen Suzanne , Williams Craig , Mundie Janice , Russell Carol , Rodgers Fiona , MacLachlan Margaret , Galbraith Rhona , Rankin Jean , McIver Val
Published: October 2017

Aims and Objective

To explore the experiences of community patients living with a urethral catheter and those caring for them.

Background

Living at home with an indwelling urethral catheter often results in consequences that create a double‐edged burden: first, on patients and their relative carers and second, in terms of unscheduled community nurse service “out‐of‐hours” provision.

Design

One‐to‐one interviews were conducted with patients living at home, their relative carers, qualified community nurses, augmented home carers and healthcare assistant. Quantitative data in relation to frequency, duration and reason for visits were extracted from the community nurse “out‐of‐hours” service database.

Results

Quantitative data showed that 20% of all community nurses unscheduled “out‐of‐hours” visits were triggered by an indwelling urethral catheter consequence. Qualitative data revealed that health and social care staff felt knowledgeable and skilled in urethral catheter management. Conversely, patients and relative carers felt poorly equipped to manage the situation when something went wrong. The majority of patients described the catheter as being a debilitating source of anxiety and pain that reduced their quality of life.

Conclusion

Urethral catheter complications are frequent and impact seriously on quality of life with informal carers also affected. Community nurses experienced frequent unscheduled visits. Patients often feel isolated as well as lacking in knowledge, skills and information on catheter management. Having better urethral catheter information resources could increase patient and relative carer confidence, encourage self‐care and problem solving, as well as facilitate meaningful consistent dialogue between patients and those who provide them with help and support.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

Better patient information resources regarding urethral catheter management have potential to improve patient and relative carer quality of life and reduce service provision burden.
Clinical applications of IDDSI framework for texture recommendation for dysphagia patients
Authors: Su Mingsong , Zheng Gangying , Chen Yanqiu , Xie Hua , Han Weijia , Yang Qing , Sun Jianqin , Lv Zhihong , Chen Jianshe
Published: October 2017

Dysphagia is a highly prevalent eating and swallowing disorder among elderly people, impacting negatively on the health and well‐being of those afflicted. With increasing populations of elderly people, food industries are under growing pressure to produce appropriately texture‐modified food for safe consumption by these vulnerable populations. Recently published International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework provides a new global guideline on texture modification and standardization for dysphagia patients. This work was designed to test the feasibility of IDDSI framework for clinical applications by assessing the correlation between swallowing capability of dysphagia patients and the IDDSI texture levels. Altogether 26 elderly subjects were recruited and assessed for their dysphagia grades using the Water Drinking Test. Subjects were provided with fluid samples constituted at different consistencies from a commercial product and swallowing performance (time of swallowing, number of swallows, and number of coughs) was monitored and recorded. Correlations among swallowing capability parameters were observed. Most importantly, results from this work clearly demonstrated that the severity of dysphagia by water‐based swallow tests correlates positively with the IDDSI fluid thickness aimed at reducing dysphagia symptoms in those patients, confirming the reliability and feasibility of IDDSI framework for clinical applications.

Practical applications

Swallowing disorder or dysphagia occurs commonly among many elderly people and imposes negative impacts on their health and well‐being. Medical professionals can diagnose eating and swallowing capability in a qualitative manner, but have difficulty in making diet recommendation because of the lack of texture guidance. This work confirmed the feasibility of IDDSI framework for clinical and bedside applications. The correlation between the capability grades of swallowing and IDDSI texture levels established in this work provides a useful measure for such applications.
Early environmental conditions affect the volume of higher‐order brain centers in a jumping spider
Authors: Steinhoff P. O. M. , Liedtke J. , Sombke A. , Schneider J. M. , Uhl G.
Published: October 2017

The central nervous system is known to be plastic in volume and structure depending on the stimuli the organism is subjected to. We tested in the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa (Clerck, 1757), whether rearing environments affect the volume of two target higher‐order brain centers: the mushroom body (MB) and the arcuate body (AB). We reared female M. muscosa (N = 39) in three environments: solitarily (D: deprived), solitarily but in a physically enriched environment (P: physically enriched) and together with several siblings (G: group). We additionally investigated spiders caught from the field (W: wild). Volumes of MB and AB were compared using microCT analysis. We hypothesized that spiders reared in treatments P and G should have larger MB and AB than the spiders from treatment D, as the enriched environments are presumably cognitively more demanding than the deprived environment. Spiders from treatment P had significantly larger absolute brain volumes than spiders from treatment D, whereas brain volumes of treatment G lay in between. The relative volume of the MB was not significantly different between the treatments, whereas relative AB volumes were significantly larger in treatment P than in D, supporting the hypothesis that the AB is a center of locomotor control. W spiders had smaller absolute brain volumes and relatively smaller AB than spiders from laboratory treatments, which suggests developmental constraints under natural, possibly food‐limited conditions. Additionally, differences in the relative volume of MB substructures were found. Overall, our study demonstrates that brains of jumping spiders respond plastically to environmental conditions in that absolute brain volume, as well as the relative volume of higher‐order brain centers, is affected.
Contributions of recombination and repair proteins to telomere maintenance in telomerase‐positive and negative Ustilago maydis
Authors: Yu Eun Young , Hsu Min , Holloman William K. , Lue Neal F.
Published: October 2017

Homologous recombination and repair factors are known to promote both telomere replication and recombination‐based telomere extension. Herein, we address the diverse contributions of several recombination/repair proteins to telomere maintenance in Ustilago maydis, a fungus that bears strong resemblance to mammals with respect to telomere regulation and recombination mechanisms. In telomerase‐positive U. maydis, deletion of rad51 and blm separately caused shortened but stably maintained telomeres, whereas deletion of both engendered similar telomere loss, suggesting that the repair proteins help to resolve similar problems in telomere replication. In telomerase‐negative cells, the loss of Rad51 or Brh2 caused accelerated senescence and failure to generate survivors on semi‐solid medium. However, slow growing survivors can be isolated through continuous liquid culturing, and these survivors exhibit type II‐like as well as ALT‐like telomere features. In contrast, the trt1Δ blmΔ double mutant gives rise to survivors as readily as the trt1Δ single mutant, and like the single mutant survivors, exhibit almost exclusively type I‐like telomere features. In addition, we observed direct physical interactions between Blm and two telomere‐binding proteins, which may thus recruit or regulate Blm at telomeres. Our findings provide the basis for further analyzing the interplays between telomerase, telomere replication, and telomere recombination.
Post‐translational modifications as key regulators of apicomplexan biology: insights from proteome‐wide studies
Authors: Yakubu Rama R. , Weiss Louis M. , Silmon de Monerri Natalie C.
Published: October 2017

Parasites of the Apicomplexa phylum, such as Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii, undergo complex life cycles involving multiple stages with distinct biology and morphologies. Post‐translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation, acetylation and glycosylation, regulate numerous cellular processes, playing a role in every aspect of cell biology. PTMs can occur on proteins at any time in their lifespan and through alterations of target protein activity, localization, protein–protein interactions, among other functions, dramatically increase proteome diversity and complexity. In addition, PTMs can be induced or removed on changes in cellular environment and state. Thus, PTMs are likely to be key regulators of developmental transitions, biology and pathogenesis of apicomplexan parasites. In this review we examine the roles of PTMs in both parasite‐specific and conserved eukaryotic processes, and the potential crosstalk between PTMs, that together regulate the intricate lives of these protozoa.
Changes in pulmonary artery systolic pressure and right ventricular function in patients with end‐stage renal disease on maintenance dialysis
Authors: Santosh Sadashiv , Chu Cheng , Mwangi John , Narayan Melin , Mosman Amy , Nayak Ravi , Philipneri Marie
Published: October 2017

Aim

Pulmonary hypertension is common in patients with end‐stage renal disease, and portends a poor prognosis. There are little data in this population, and previous studies have not evaluated quantitative changes in haemodynamics over time while on maintenance dialysis. This study sought to estimate changes in pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and right ventricular function over time, and to predict PASP change using clinical variables routinely available at time of initial measurement, in patients on maintenance dialysis.

Methods

We retrospectively studied patients with end‐stage renal disease at a university‐affiliated dialysis centre who had two separate echocardiograms 1–4 years apart.

Results

Seventy‐six patients (65 haemodialysis, 11 peritoneal dialysis) were included. PASP was estimated by echocardiography. Baseline PASP was predicted by left‐sided valvular disease, anaemia, COPD, left‐ventricular mass index, and haemodialysis modality (P = 0.07 for modality). Average increase in PASP was 2.41 mmHg per year. Higher rates of PASP change were predicted by E/e′ ratio by tissue doppler on echocardiogram, diabetes mellitus, low LV mass, and left‐sided valvular heart disease (P = 0.07 for valvular disease). Patients with higher PASP had higher incidence of new‐onset right ventricular dysfunction.

Conclusion

In patients with end‐stage renal disease, PASP increases over time. Changes are moderately predictable. Higher PASP predicted development of right ventricular dysfunction.
Impaired intestinal barrier function and relapsing digestive disease: Lessons from a porcine model of early life stress
Authors: Ziegler A. L. , Blikslager A. T.
Published: October 2017

Within this issue of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, an article by Pohl et al highlights new insights from a powerful porcine model of the link between early life adversity and relapsing functional gastrointestinal disorders. Early weaning stress closely mimics the early life psychosocial stressors that have been linked to adult onset gastrointestinal dysfunction. This early weaning model provides reproducible and highly translatable outcomes in young stress‐challenged pigs. Due to the convincingly comparable neurological and gastroenterological anatomy and physiology between pigs and human beings, gastrointestinal stress and injury studies utilizing swine models will provide invaluable insights to improve our understanding and treatment of gastrointestinal disease in human beings. Future studies to examine mechanisms underlying this link between early life adversity and functional gastrointestinal disorders will explore the roles of gender and hypomaturity in gastrointestinal responses to stress.
Idiopathic gastroparesis is associated with specific transcriptional changes in the gastric muscularis externa
Authors: Herring B. P. , Hoggatt A. M. , Gupta A. , Griffith S. , Nakeeb A. , Choi J. N. , Idrees M. T. , Nowak T. , Morris D. L. , Wo J. M.
Published: October 2017

Background

The molecular changes that occur in the stomach that are associated with idiopathic gastroparesis are poorly described. The aim of this study was to use quantitative analysis of mRNA expression to identify changes in mRNAs encoding proteins required for the normal motility functions of the stomach.

Methods

Full‐thickness stomach biopsy samples were collected from non‐diabetic control subjects who exhibited no symptoms of gastroparesis and from patients with idiopathic gastroparesis. mRNA was isolated from the muscularis externa and mRNA expression levels were determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase (RT)‐PCR.

Key Results

Smooth muscle tissue from idiopathic gastroparesis patients had decreased expression of mRNAs encoding several contractile proteins, such as MYH11 and MYLK1. Conversely, there was no significant change in mRNAs characteristic of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) such as KIT or ANO1. There was also a significant decrease in mRNA‐encoding platelet‐derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) and its ligand PDGFB and in Heme oxygenase 1 in idiopathic gastroparesis subjects. In contrast, there was a small increase in mRNA characteristic of neurons. Although there was not an overall change in KIT expression in gastroparesis patients, KIT expression showed a significant correlation with gastric emptying whereas changes in MYLK1, ANO1 and PDGFRα showed weak correlations to the fullness/satiety subscore of patient assessment of upper gastrointestinal disorder‐symptom severity index scores.

Conclusions and Inferences:

Our findings suggest that idiopathic gastroparesis is associated with altered smooth muscle cell contractile protein expression and loss of PDGFRα+ cells without a significant change in ICCs.
Quantitative mesophyll parameters rather than whole‐leaf traits predict response of C3 steppe plants to aridity
Authors: Ivanova Larissa A. , Yudina Polina K. , Ronzhina Dina A. , Ivanov Leonid A. , Hölzel Norbert
Published: October 2017

We studied the impact of aridity on leaf and mesophyll traits in dominant and very abundant plant species of Eurasian steppe plant communities. We covered a 500‐km latitudinal gradient across three vegetation zones in the Volga region of southern European Russia.

Whole‐leaf traits, volumetric fractions of leaf tissues, quantitative parameters of photosynthetic cells and chloroplasts, and chlorophyll, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents were analyzed and related to plant functional type (PFT), type of mesophyll anatomy, phylogeny and climate aridity.

The proportions of prevailing PFTs in the communities, such as C3 monocots, C3 dicots with dorsiventral and isopalisade anatomy and C4 dicots, changed with increasing aridity which influenced the whole‐leaf parameters and tissue composition in the leaf. Leaf mass per unit area and leaf thickness slightly increased along the aridity gradient, but the most significant changes were observed in the mesophyll. Mesophyll cell surface area, chloroplast number and chloroplast surface area per unit leaf area were higher in C3 plants growing in the desert steppe compared with those of the forest steppe, while chlorophyll content per single chloroplast and per unit N content as well chlorophyll a/b ratio decreased.

Our results identify a suite of mesophyll traits as a typical ‘syndrome’ of increasingly drought‐adapted steppe plants.
Genealogies of recovery: The framing of therapeutic ambitions
Authors: Brown Brian , Manning Nick
Published: October 2017

The notion of recovery has become prominent in mental healthcare discourse in the UK, but it is often considered as if it were a relatively novel notion, and as if it represented an alternative to conventional treatment and intervention. In this paper, we explore some of the origins of the notion of recovery in the early 20th century in movements such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Recovery Inc. Whilst these phenomena are not entirely continuous with recovery in the present day, some important antecedents of the contemporary notion can be detected. These include the focus on the sufferers’ interior space as a key theatre of operations and the reinforcement and consolidation of medical ways of seeing the condition without any immediate medical supervision of the actors being necessary. This has resonance with many contemporary examples of recovery in practice where the art of living with a mental health condition is emphasised without the nature of the psychopathological condition itself being challenged.
Phenomenal, Normative, and Other Explanatory Gaps: A General Diagnosis
Authors: Mehta Neil
Published: October 2017

I assume that there exists a general phenomenon, the phenomenon of theexplanatory gap, that surrounds consciousness, normativity, intentionality, and more. Explanatory gaps are often thought to foreclose reductive possibilities wherever they appear. In response, reductivists who grant the existence of these gaps have offered countless local solutions. But typically such reductivist responses have a serious shortcoming: because they appeal to essentially domain‐specific features, they are impossible to fully generalize. Here I do better. Taking for granted that the explanatory gap is a genuine phenomenon, I offer a fully general diagnosis that unifies these previously fragmented reductivist responses.
Characterisation of flower colouration in 30 Rhododendron species via anthocyanin and flavonol identification and quantitative traits
Authors: Du H. , Lai L. , Wang F. , Sun W. , Zhang L. , Li X. , Wang L. , Jiang L. , Zheng Y.
Published: October 2017

Floral colour is a key reproductive character, often associated with environmental adaptation, and subject to human intervention. A large number of Rhododendron species differ widely in flower colour, providing a good model for flower colouration. The chromatic features and anthocyanin compositions of 30 species from seven subgenera were systematically analysed.

The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart and CIE L*a*b* system were employed to describe and investigate flower colours. The UPLC‐PDA/ESI‐MSn system was used to identify and quantify anthocyanins in petal extracts.

The flower colours of 30 Rhododendron species were categorised into four groups – red, purplish pink, purple and white. Seven anthocyanins were identified and quantified in petals: delphinidin, cyanidin and malvidin 3‐O‐arabinoside‐5‐O‐glucosides, cyanidin 3,5‐di‐O‐glucoside, 3‐O‐galactoside and 3‐O‐arabinoside, and delphinidin 3‐O‐glucoside. The red‐flowered species mainly contained cyanidin monoglycosides and had much higher total anthocyanin content than purplish pink‐ and purple‐flowered species. Purplish pink‐ and purple‐flowered species had similar anthocyanin types and content. The chromatic differences were significant among groups, except the purplish pink and purple groups. Statistical analysis showed that Cy3Gal and Cy3Arb are characteristic for red‐flowered species, and Mv3Arb5G and Dp3Arb5G play important roles in purple colouration; their contents were major components that greatly affected the chromatic parameters. In total, 21 flavonol derivates were identified. However, total flavonol content and co‐pigmentation index showed no significant difference or correlation among/with colour groups, suggesting that flavonols might not play a major role in colouration.

These results enhance our knowledge of the biochemical basis of flower colouration in Rhododendron species, and provide a foundation for genetic variation studies and aid in breeding cultivars with novel flower colours.
From pre‐ovulatory follicle palpation to the challenge of twin pregnancies: Clinical reflections following one million gynaecological examinations in dairy cows
Authors: López‐Gatius F. , Hunter R.H.F.
Published: October 2017

Contents

Based on experimental studies and extensive field‐scale experience, this review offers new proposals for: (i) elevating the success of modern insemination procedures, (ii) emphasizing features of a pre‐ovulatory follicle in the context of optimum insemination timing, (iii) overcoming heat stress and its consequences using physiological processes or endocrine protocols, (iv) establishing a viable pregnancy or early pregnancy loss and (v) the challenge of twin pregnancies. In conclusion, the fertility of high‐yielding dairy cows can be further improved.
Increased sperm cell production in ageing roosters by an oral treatment with an aromatase inhibitor and a natural herbal extract designed for improving fertility
Authors: Adeldust H , Farzinpour A , Farshad A , Rostamzadeh J , Lopez‐Bejar M
Published: October 2017

Contents

Rooster fertility peaks between 30 and 40 weeks of age and declines rapidly from 50 weeks of age. This is linked to a reduction in the number of spermatozoa in the ejaculate due to high density of spermatids in the seminiferous tubules of low‐fertility roosters. In this study, we assessed the effects over spermatogenesis of both letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, and a commercial herbal extract designed for improving fertility composed by Tribulus, Cinnamomum, Zingiber and Sativus. Forty‐two‐week‐old Ross 308 roosters (n = 24) were distributed into four groups: control, letrozole (0.03 mg/kg), herbal extract (0.04 ml/kg) and letrozole+herbal extract. After 14 weeks of daily oral supplementation, their testes and epididymides were weighed, fixed and sectioned for assessment of spermatogenesis and quantification of sperm cells inside the lumen. Differences in seminiferous tubules measurements and density of sperm cells were tested using R software (version 3.0.1). Although body weight was not affected by the treatment, testes from animals treated with the combination of letrozole and herbal extracts were heavier than those from control animals. Animals treated with either letrozole or herbal extract, or their combination, showed a significant higher number of sperm cells inside the seminiferous tubules and epididymis than control animals (p < .05). These data suggest that the use of letrozole and the herbal extract could improve sperm cell production in ageing roosters. Future studies are needed to disclose the causal mechanisms involved and its effect on fertility and ejaculate features.
Voltage‐dependent anion channel 2 is involved in in vitro capacitation of boar sperm
Authors: Martínez‐Abad S , Castillo‐Martín M , Gadani B , Rodríguez‐Gil JE , Bonet S , Yeste M
Published: October 2017

Contents

Ion channels play an important role during sperm capacitation allowing the transport through plasma and mitochondrial membranes of specific molecules that are essential for the achievement of this physiologic status. Given that voltage‐dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) is present in boar spermatozoa and is known to be involved in calcium transport in somatic cells, this study aimed at determining whether it is implicated in sperm capacitation and the acrosome reaction. With this purpose, boar spermatozoa were capacitated in vitro for 4 hr, and acrosome reaction was induced with progesterone for a further hour, with or without the presence of two VDAC2‐inhibitors (erastin and olesoxime) at two different concentrations (10 and 100 μM). At different time points (0, 120, 240, 270 and 300 min), an aliquot was taken and sperm motility, membrane integrity and lipid disorder were evaluated using computer‐assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometry. The addition of the two inhibitors resulted in opposite effects. While erastin 100 μM reduced the percentage of non‐capacitated spermatozoa, the presence of olesoxime at the same concentration prevented the increase in membrane lipid disorder, which is a feature of sperm capacitation. Such prevention was concomitant with a maintaining effect on sperm membrane integrity evaluated through SYBR14/PI. Our results suggest that VDAC2 is involved in the regulation of sperm capacitation, despite the fact that the mechanisms through which erastin and olesoxime act are different.
Altrenogest treatment before weaning improves litter size in sows
Authors: Lopes TP , Bolarín A , Martínez EA , Roca J
Published: October 2017

Contents

The study aimed to assess whether altrenogest treatment, fed before weaning (from −8 to −2 days), could improve fertility of sows showing reproductive seasonality. Ninety sows (50 in winter–spring [WS] and 40 in summer–autumn [SA]) were randomly selected and assigned to control (C; 27 in WS and 20 in SA) or altrenogest treatment (A; 23 in WS and 20 in SA) groups. The diameter and number of ovarian follicles were transrectally scanned at the onset of oestrus. Oestrus was evaluated twice daily from weaning to day 8 post‐weaning. Sows in oestrus were post‐cervically inseminated at 0 and 24 hr after the onset of oestrus with liquid stored semen (1.5 × 109 sperm/doses), and farrowing rates (FR) and total piglets born (LS) were recorded. More (p < .01) sows showed no signs of oestrus within 8 days after weaning in SA (30%) than in WS (2%), without differences between A and C groups. The diameter (cm) of the follicles at the onset of oestrus was larger in A than in C sows (0.76 ± 0.01 vs 0.73 ± 0.01; p < .01), irrespective of the season. No differences in the number of follicles were found. FR did not differ between seasons and groups, being always above 85%. LS was larger (p < .01) in A (14.00 ± 0.46) than C (12.27 ± 0.44) sows, irrespective of the season. In conclusion, a short‐term altrenogest treatment at the end of lactation improves the total number of piglets born from weaned sows, probably by promoting a better and more homogeneous follicular development at the start of oestrus.
Quantifying the interactions of land management practices and agricultural productivity using a soil quality index
Authors: de Paul Obade V.
Published: October 2017

It is desirable to develop an objective Soil Quality Index (SQI) to guide sustainable agronomic intensification, thereby promoting socio‐economic well‐being. This study pioneers the use of Ward's cluster and principal component regression methods to evaluate soil homogeneity and construct a SQI (expressed as %). Field data were acquired from five different sites within Ohio, USA, that were under no‐till (NT), conventional till (CT) management and natural vegetation (NV) land use. Soil pH, carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, nitrate and soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations were identified as primary drivers of soil quality. Based on Ward's cluster method, the soil properties of croplands were not significantly different from those under NV land use. However, SQI ranked surface soils under CT management as higher in quality than NV and NT managed soils, respectively. The coefficient of determination (R2) between SQI and corn (Zea mays L.) and soya bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yields was 0.7 and 0.9, respectively, implying this SQI effectively relates soil properties, a function of anthropogenic land management practices, with crop yields. In future, time series analyses will be used to assess SQI versus crop yield dynamics, with key socio‐economic and climate variables.
Cold stored platelets in treatment of bleeding
Authors: Apelseth T. O. , Cap A. P. , Spinella P. C. , Hervig T. , Strandenes G.
Published: October 2017

The success of whole blood transfusion in military operational settings has engaged a debate on reintroduction of cold‐stored whole blood in treatment of critical bleeding in civilian health care. The haemostatic function of platelets stored cold at 4°C has however been questioned. In this review, we discuss the effects of cold storage on platelets, whether stored in whole blood or as platelet concentrates. Cold storage of platelets was abandoned during the 1970s due to reduced circulation time. Haemostatic superiority of cold‐stored platelets was however suggested. In vitro studies show reduced risk of bacterial contamination and equal or superior haemostatic qualities in cold‐stored platelet concentrates when evaluated by metabolic measures and aggregation response. Data on cold‐stored platelet concentrates from thrombocytopenic patients and healthy volunteers indicate improved platelet aggregation and reduced bleeding. A randomized controlled trial in paediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery, showed reduced blood loss and improved platelet aggregation responses after transfusion with whole blood stored cold for up to 48 h, and platelets stored cold within whole blood for up to 15 days provide similar post‐storage platelet viability as platelet concentrates or apheresis platelets stored for less than 3 days. Animal studies also suggest efficacy of cold‐stored platelets. A study investigating the effects of cold‐stored apheresis platelets in patients undergoing cardiothoracic is currently being performed in Bergen, Norway showing promising results. We conclude that in vitro and clinical studies indicate that cold‐stored platelets may be beneficial in treatment of critical bleeding.
Multilocus phylogeny and taxonomy of East Asian voles Alexandromys (Rodentia, Arvicolinae)
Authors: Lissovsky Andrey A. , Petrova Tatyana V. , Yatsentyuk Svetlana P. , Golenishchev Fedor N. , Putincev Nikolay I. , Kartavtseva Irina V. , Sheremetyeva Irina N. , Abramson Natalia I.
Published: October 2017

Phylogenetic relationships, taxonomy and nomenclature issues within East Asian voles Alexandromys were addressed using comprehensive species samples, including all 12 valid species of the genus, and multilocus analysis. We examined the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene and three nuclear genes in 36 specimens. Additionally, we examined a data set of 106 specimens using only the cytb gene. Our results did not confirm the aggregation of A. kikuchii, A. montebelli and A. oeconomus into a separate clade, namely the subgenus Pallasiinus. Analysis of incomplete lineage sorting using JML software highlighted both the cases of mitochondrial introgression and incomplete lineage sorting within the genus. Thus, the sister position of A. sachalinensis and A. maximowiczii in mitochondrial trees could be explained by mitochondrial introgression, while the sister position of A. limnophilus and A. fortis in mitochondrial trees could be successfully explained by incomplete lineage sorting. Very short genetic distances, together with an absence of monophyly, of the three species, A. evoronensis, A. mujanensis and A. maximowiczii, is supported by multiple morphological data, which indicates that these three taxa should be one species—A. maximowiczii. Analysis of genetic distances and tree topology revealed that three species of short‐tailed voles—A. middendorffii, A. mongolicus and A. gromovi—are more closely related to each other than to other established species of Alexandromys. The lacustrine vole, A. limnophilus, is closely related to the group of short‐tailed voles. Analysis of the type specimens of limnophilus and flaviventris confirmed that these taxa form one species together with A. l. malygini. Our results suggest that the mountains of western Mongolia are inhabited by a new taxon of short‐tailed voles of the same rank as middendorffii, mongolicus and gromovi—A. m. alpinus ssp. n.
Omecamtiv mercabil and blebbistatin modulate cardiac contractility by perturbing the regulatory state of the myosin filament
Authors: Kampourakis Thomas , Zhang Xuemeng , Sun Yin‐Biao , Irving Malcolm
Published: October 2017

Key points

Omecamtiv mecarbil and blebbistatin perturb the regulatory state of the thick filament in heart muscle.

Omecamtiv mecarbil increases contractility at low levels of activation by stabilizing the ON state of the thick filament.

Omecamtiv mecarbil decreases contractility at high levels of activation by disrupting the acto‐myosin ATPase cycle.

Blebbistatin reduces contractility by stabilizing the thick filament OFF state and inhibiting acto‐myosin ATPase.

Thick filament regulation is a promising target for novel therapeutics in heart disease.

Contraction of heart muscle is triggered by a transient rise in intracellular free calcium concentration linked to a change in the structure of the actin‐containing thin filaments that allows the head or motor domains of myosin from the thick filaments to bind to them and induce filament sliding. It is becoming increasingly clear that cardiac contractility is also regulated through structural changes in the thick filaments, although the molecular mechanisms underlying thick filament regulation are still relatively poorly understood. Here we investigated those mechanisms using small molecules – omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) and blebbistatin (BS) – that bind specifically to myosin and respectively activate or inhibit contractility in demembranated cardiac muscle cells. We measured isometric force and ATP utilization at different calcium and small‐molecule concentrations in parallel with in situ structural changes determined using fluorescent probes on the myosin regulatory light chain in the thick filaments and on troponin C in the thin filaments. The results show that BS inhibits contractility and actin‐myosin ATPase by stabilizing the OFF state of the thick filament in which myosin head domains are more parallel to the filament axis. In contrast, OM stabilizes the ON state of the thick filament, but inhibits contractility at high intracellular calcium concentration by disrupting the actin‐myosin ATPase pathway. The effects of BS and OM on the calcium sensitivity of isometric force and filament structural changes suggest that the co‐operativity of calcium activation in physiological conditions is due to positive coupling between the regulatory states of the thin and thick filaments.
Studies on Safety Assessment Method for Operating License Extension of Nuclear Power Plants in China
Authors: Chen Zhilin , Huang Ping , Wang Chunhui , Chi Zhiyuan , Shi Fangjie , Wang Yong , An Yinghui , Zhang Yanwei , Wang Jun , Xue Fei
Published: October 2017

It’s the trend to extend the operating license time, called Operating License Extension (OLE) in China, of nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the future. It needs to be adequately demonstrated by licensees and approved by the regulator to gain an extended license time, such as 20 years. The demonstration methods for OLE are different among countries due to the different management systems for NPPs. Safety assessment, environment effect evaluation and update of the final safety analysis report (FSAR) will be the main aspects during OLE demonstration of NPPs in China according to the technical policy issued by National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA). Technical methods for scoping and screening, aging management review and time-limited aging analyses, which are the main contents of safety assessment are established based on the technical policy drafted by NNSA and international experiences in order to assist the operators to implement the safety assessment for OLE of NPP.
The Research of the Model-Free Adaptive Control Method of Once-Through Steam Generator in Nuclear Power
Authors: Tao Mo , Ke Zhiwu , Li Xianling , Qu Ruotong , Zhao Zhenxing , Wu Jun , Li Yong
Published: October 2017

Due to the increasingly complexity of the nuclear power device system, the demands for its performance and security become rather high. Once through steam generator (OTSG) has been widely researched and applied because of its practical advantages like simple structure and small volume, good static performance and mobility. It can produce superheated steam, can work without dehumidification device, and can improve the thermal efficiency of a system. However OTSG has evidently shortages on tight coupling, nonlinearity, large hysteresis and strong interference. That makes its controller designing faces with great challenges.

Keeping to the topic of OTSG (Including the feed pump and the feed valve), the main study subjects of this paper are:

Firstly, identifying the plant system and researching the four stages changing of the steam pressure by driving the feed valve with a step signal. Non-minimum phase characteristic is found in the second stage.

Secondly, discussing whether MFAC and PID are applicable to the non-minimum phase characteristic in the second stage of steam pressure changing. Whether they can eliminate the changing in the first stage, overcome the non-minimum phase characteristic, and finally reduce the cyclic stress damage of OTSG.

Thirdly, for the “feed valve-steam pressure” channel, adjusting the feed valve to track the steam pressure. Then, whether the adjusting of the feed valve can resist the disturbance on steam pressure is researched. This research can help us avoid adjusting the circuit and the feed pump frequently and enhances the reliability and security of the system on the premise that no adjust on feed valve and the power of the first circuit.

Compared with the simulation result of PID, the convergence rate of MFAC is evidently faster than PID’s. In brief, MFAC has obvious superiorities in tracking, adapting, anti-interference and overcoming large hysteresis when compared with PID controller.
Experimental Research and Assessment for Thermal Fatigue in T-Junction With Mixing Flows
Authors: Yinqiang Chen , Xinglei Zhao , Guohua Gan , Kaili Xu , Yanzhi Wang , Jinqiang Zou , Chun Gui
Published: October 2017

Thermal fatigue in T-junction with mixing flows has been a grown concern in the wake of the accidents occurring at several nuclear power plants in the world. In this paper, based on highly frequent temperature measurements at the outer pipe wall surface and within the pipe wall from the specially-designed test loop, projected models of turbulence penetration length and temperature distribution were developed. Meanwhile, determining temperature and stress distribution in pipe is the key factor for assessment of thermal fatigue life resulting from hot and cold mixing flows in T-junction. In the paper, the temperature of the inner wall surface was obtained using inverse heat conduction and large eddy simulation based on measurements. Finally, the stress distribution caused by mixing flows was obtained using simplified calculation methods, which were verified by detailed analysis results from the special developed program of inverse function. Such solution methods provide a feasible approach to assess the fatigue life of T-junction in nuclear power plants.
Ageing Inspection for Cross-Linked Polyolefin Insulation Cable in NPP Using Dielectric Property
Authors: Yizhou Zhang , Lei Wang , Pengyu Zhao , Liang Wang , Xuan Gao , Ge Tao , Huiming Ma
Published: October 2017

The paper use a new dielectric frequency response method to measure the cable insulation’s complex dielectric spectrum at wide frequency domain. During the experiment, Cross-linked polyolefin insulated cables are accelerate aged under thermal and irradiation environment, and measured with elongation at break, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, oxidation induced temperature, and dielectric spectrum as well, to study the property degradation rule. The result indicate that the thermal ageing mechanism is similar to irradiation ageing, of which is the degradation due to polymer molecular chain unlinking, oxidizing material increase and additives content reduce. This chemical constituent changing in insulation could not result traditional electric property change but could be monitored by dielectric loss spectrum curve among wide frequency domain, which stayed stable but shifted to lower frequency as cable degradation. Finally, the paper discussed the main mechanism of cross-linked polyolefin dielectric property changing while ageing according to the electrophysical characteristic of solid insulation, and provided some suggestions about the non-destructive techniques for nuclear power plant cables using dielectric spectrum.
Markov/CCMT Dynamic Reliability Analysis of the Main and Startup Feedwater Control System in Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Li Wentao , Gu Danying , Zhang Henan
Published: October 2017

The dynamic reliability of the main and startup feedwater control system in nuclear power plant is evaluated by conducting the Markov Cell-to-Cell Mapping Technology (Markov/CCMT) methodology. All the equipment failure modes and potential failure states within the system are analyzed. This process illustrates the uncertainty in the physical process of the system. Furthermore, the failure probability and cut-set of the system can be computed to provide a more comprehensive and accurate response to the system characteristics and reflect the two types of interaction within the system. In contract to the traditional static Probability Safety Assessment (PSA), the Markov/CCMT methodology remedies the defect in terms of event sequence setting, control loop, multiple top event competition, uncertainty of the analysis result as well as the insufficient analysis of human-caused failure. The reliability analysis of the main and startup feedwater control system (FWCS) based on the self-developed Markov/CCMT reliability analysis software verifies the feasibility and engineering application value of the methodology and software.
Study of AP1000 Protection System Based on FirmSys
Authors: Wei-zhi Zheng , Hong-tao Sun , Jing-bo Liu , Ji-qiang Ma , Yuan Liu
Published: October 2017

In order to design AP1000 protection system based on the FirmSys platform of CTEC, the AP1000 protection system based on CommonQ platform is analyzed and researched. Through the comparison of the FirmSys platform and the CommonQ platform, it is found that the number of cabinets should be increased largely if the protection system design based on the FirmSys platform refers to Westinghouse AP1000 protection system architecture. So that the cabinets can not be laid out in the electrical room due to the AP1000 electrical room space constraints. In order to solve this problem and to achieve the required reliability, the optimization of the emergency reactor trip and engineered safety features actuation control method based on FirmSys platform is studied. At last a new protection system architecture design is completed. It is proved that the optimized protection system architecture, in which the number of cabinets is reduced and the reliability is improved, not only can solve the cabinet layout problem, but also can meet the design requirements of AP1000.
A Decade of Pipeline Geotechnical Monitoring Using Distributed Fiber Optic Monitoring Technology
Authors: Ravet Fabien , Niklès Marc , Rochat Etienne
Published: October 2017

Many pipelines are built in regions affected by harsh environmental conditions where changes in soil texture between winter and summer increase the likelihood of risks. Pipeline routes also cross the mountains that are characterized by steep slopes and unstable soils as in the Andes and along the coastal range of Brazil. In other cases, these pipelines are laid in remote areas with significant seismic activity or exposure to permafrost. Depending on weather conditions and location, visual inspection is difficult or even impossible and therefore remote sensing solutions for pipes offer significant advantages over conventional inspection techniques. Optical fibers can help solve these challenges. Optical fiber based geotechnical and structural monitoring use distributed measurement of strain and temperature thanks to the sensitivity of Brillouin scattering to mechanical and thermal stresses. The analysis of scattering combined with a time domain technique allows the measurement of strain and temperature profiles. Temperature measurement is carried out to control soil erosion or dune migration through event quantification and spatial location. Direct measurement of strain in the soil also improves the detection of environmental hazards. As an example the technology can pinpoint the early signs of landslide. In some cases, pipe actual deformation must be monitored such as in case of active tectonic fault crossing. Pipe deformation monitoring operation is achieved by the measurement of distributed strain along fiber sensors attached to the structure. This paper comprehensively reviews over 10 years of continuous development from technology qualification and validation to its implementation in real cases as well as its successful continuous operation. Case studies present pipeline monitoring in Arctic and Siberian environment as well as in the Andes. They illustrate how the technology is used and demonstrate proof of early detection and location of events such as erosion, landslide, subsidence and pipe deformation.