bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening for Frailty in Older Adults Using a Postal Questionnaire: Rationale, Methods, and Instruments Validation of the INTER‐FRAIL Study
Authors: Di Bari Mauro , Profili Francesco , Bandinelli Stefania , Salvioni Anna , Mossello Enrico , Corridori Carla , Razzanelli Matilde , Di Fiandra Teresa , Francesconi Paolo
Published: October 2014

Objectives

To develop and test a postal screening questionnaire to intercept frailty in older community‐dwelling individuals.

Design

A questionnaire was developed on the basis of expert consensus and preliminarily tested against the occurrence of incident disability, in secondary analyses of previous epidemiological studies. The questionnaire was then mailed and its concurrent validity, defined from the association between its individual items and summary score and the presence of the Fried frailty phenotype (FFP), was subsequently evaluated cross‐sectionally with in‐person examination of initial participants.

Setting

Community‐based.

Participants

Individuals aged 70 and older living in two communities near Florence, Italy.

Measurements

A home comprehensive geriatric assessment including the FFP was conducted in participants who screened positive for frailty and in a limited sample of negative responders.

Results

A 10‐item questionnaire, developed based on expert consensus, was preliminarily tested on preexisting epidemiological data and showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.716 versus incident disability. The questionnaire was then mailed to 15,774 subjects, whose response rate was 53.6%. Of the first 1,037 participants included in the concurrent validation study, 833 (80.3%) screened positive, and 380 (36.6%) were frail on assessment. The ability of the questionnaire summary score to predict frailty was adequate, with an AUC of 0.695, a sensitivity of 71%, and a specificity of 58%.

Conclusion

A simple questionnaire delivered by mail was able to identify FFP in the community. This would facilitate large‐scale screening for frailty in older persons.
Statin Use and Pain in Older People with Cancer: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Turner Justin P. , Shakib Sepehr , Singhal Nimit , Hogan‐Doran Jonathon , Prowse Robert , Johns Sally , Thynne Tilenka , Bell J. Simon
Published: October 2014

Objectives

To investigate statin use and pain in people with cancer aged 70 to 79 and 80 and older.

Design

Cross‐sectional.

Setting

Medical oncology outpatient clinic at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Participants

Individuals aged 70 and older who presented consecutively between January 2009 and June 2010 (n = 385), of whom 106 were aged 80 and older.

Measurements

Participants completed a structured data collection instrument, documenting medication use, comorbidities and a general pain assessment (10‐point visual analogue scale (VAS)). Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for factors associated with statin use.

Results

The prevalence of statin use was 35% (n = 97) in people aged 70 to 79 and 39% (n = 41) in those aged 80 and older. After adjusting for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and analgesic use, statin use was associated with self‐reported pain (VAS ≥5) (OR = 4.09, 95% CI = 1.32–12.68) in people aged 80 and older but not in those aged 70 to 79. Half of participants using statins (51% n = 70) had a palliative treatment approach. Of the 41 statin users aged 80 and older, 20 (49%) were using statins for primary prevention.

Conclusion

The prevalence of statin use was similar in people aged 70 to 79 years and those aged 80 and older, with statin use associated with self‐reported pain in people aged 80 and older. This highlights a potential benefit of “deprescribing” statins in older people with cancer, especially those aged 80 and older.
Participation of Older People in Preauthorization Trials of Recently Approved Medicines
Authors: Beers Erna , Moerkerken Dineke C. , Leufkens Hubert G.M. , Egberts Toine C.G. , Jansen Paul A.F.
Published: October 2014

Objectives

To investigate the inclusion of older people in clinical trials of recently authorized medicines, evaluating adherence to the 20‐year‐old International Conference of Harmonisation (ICH) guideline on geriatrics (E7).

Design

Observational.

Setting

European public assessment reports, published clinical trials, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform.

Participants

Individuals aged 65 and older and 75 and older.

Measurements

Number and proportion of randomized participants and all exclusion criteria of studies involving diseases characteristically associated with aging (venous thromboembolism, osteoporosis, atrial fibrillation) and diseases not unique to older adults (type 2 diabetes mellitus, depression, bipolar disorder, epilepsy).

Results

In 114 Phase II and III trials of 12 medicines, 43.1% of participants were aged 65 and older, and 16.1% were aged 75 and older. In trials involving diseases characteristically associated with ageing, 57% were aged 65 and older; 22% were aged 75 and older. In trials involving diseases not unique to old age, 9% were aged 65 and older, and 1% were aged 75 and older. Upper age limits were applied in 30.7% of the trials; the frequency did not differ between larger (sample size ≥500) and smaller trials (P = .36), although it was significantly lower in trials involving diseases characteristically associated with aging (18.0%) than in trials of diseases not unique to old age (45.3%; P = .002). Age‐sensitive exclusion criteria, based on comorbidity (75.4%), concomitant medication (71.9%), and other criteria correlated with age (60.5%) were applied more frequently in larger trials (P < .02).

Conclusion

Studies of diseases not uniquely associated with old age included an unacceptably low proportion of older people, contrary to the recommendations of the ICH E7 guideline. Although the proportion of older participants in trials of diseases characteristically associated with aging was appropriate for certain medicines, the use of age‐sensitive exclusion criteria limits the representativeness of the trial population for daily practice.
Hypoxia During Sleep and the Risk of Falls and Fractures in Older Men: The Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Sleep Study
Authors: Cauley Jane A. , Blackwell Terri L. , Redline Susan , Ensrud Kristine E. , Ancoli‐Israel Sonia , Fink Howard A. , Orwoll Eric S. , Stone Katie L.
Published: October 2014

Objectives

To test the hypothesis that low arterial oxygen saturation during sleep is associated with a greater risk of falls and fractures.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Six U.S. clinical centers.

Participants

Men aged 67 and older (N = 2,911).

Measurements

The primary exposure measure was percentage of sleep time with arterial oxygen saturation less than 90% measured using polysomnography. The main outcome measures were incident falls within 1 year and incident nonspine fractures over an average follow‐up of 6.8 years.

Results

Men with 10% or more of sleep time at an arterial oxygen saturation of less than 90% were older, reported more comorbidities, had poorer physical function, and were more likely to have sleep disordered breathing than men with less than 10% sleep time at an arterial oxygen saturation of less than 90%. After multivariate adjustment, men with 10% or more of sleep time with arterial oxygen saturation of less than 90% had a greater risk of having one or more falls (relative risk (RR) = 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04–1.51) and two or more falls (RR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.06–1.92) than those with less than 10% of sleep time with less than 90% arterial oxygen saturation. Men with greater percentage of sleep time with arterial oxygen saturation less than 90% had a 30% to 40% greater risk of nonspine fracture than those with normal nocturnal oxygen saturation in models adjusting for sleep disordered breathing.

Conclusion

Hypoxia during sleep may be a risk factor for falls and fractures in older men. Interventions aimed at decreasing nocturnal hypoxia may decrease falls and fractures.
Is Boreout a Threat to Frontline Employees' Innovative Work Behavior?
Authors: Stock Ruth Maria
Published: October 2014

With the recognition that innovation is the lifeblood of competitive firms, researchers have investigated multiple antecedents of employees' innovative work behaviors. Most studies focus on supportive work conditions, work requirements, or even high work challenges as drivers of innovative work behavior as the extent to which frontline employees (FLEs) generate new problem‐solving ideas and transform these into uses during the service encounter. This study focuses instead on a lack of resources at the service encounter. Specifically, boreout is a negative psychological state of low work‐related arousal, manifested in three main forms: a crisis of meaning at work, job boredom, and crisis of growth. According to the conservation of resources theory, these three dimensions of job boreout as lack of resources draw energy from FLEs and thus, likely affect innovative work behavior. Data from 142 FLEs and their customers confirm that these dimensions of boreout affect FLEs' innovative work behavior, though in varying ways. A crisis of meaning at work and crisis of growth both impede innovative work behavior, but job boredom has no effect. Furthermore, support provided by customers moderates the relationships of these three boreout dimensions with innovative work behavior in unique ways.
Changes in Erectile Dysfunction Over Time in Relation to Framingham Cardiovascular Risk in the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey
Authors: Fang Shona C. , Rosen Raymond C. , Vita Joseph A. , Ganz Peter , Kupelian Varant
Published: October 2014

Introduction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, the association between change in ED status over time and future underlying CVD risk is unclear.

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between change in ED status and Framingham CVD risk, as well change in Framingham risk.

Methods

We studied 965 men free of CVD in the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey, a longitudinal cohort study with three assessments. ED was assessed with the five-item International Index of Erectile Function at BACH I (2002–2005) and BACH II (2007–2010) and classified as no ED/transient ED/persistent ED. CVD risk was assessed with 10-year Framingham CVD risk algorithm at BACH I and BACH III (2010–2012). Linear regression models controlled for baseline age, socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, as well as baseline Framingham risk. Models were also stratified by age (≥/< 50 years).

Main Outcome Measures

Framingham CVD risk and change in Framingham CVD risk were the main outcome measures.

Results

Transient and persistent ED was significantly associated with increased Framingham risk and change in risk over time in univariate and age-adjusted models. In younger men, persistent ED was associated with a Framingham risk that was 1.58 percentage points higher (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11, 3.06) and in older men, a Framingham risk that was 2.54 percentage points higher (95% CI: −1.5, 6.59), compared with those without ED. Change in Framingham risk over time was also associated with transient and persistent ED in men <50 years, but not in older men.

Conclusions

Data suggest that even after taking into account other CVD risk factors, transient and persistent ED is associated with Framingham CVD risk and a greater increase in Framingham risk over time, particularly in younger men. Findings further support clinical assessment of CVD risk in men presenting with ED, especially those under 50 years.
Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus brevis KB290 on incidence of influenza infection among schoolchildren: an open-label pilot study
Authors: Waki N. , Matsumoto M. , Fukui Y. , Suganuma H.
Published: October 2014

We investigated the efficacy of dietary consumption of Lactobacillus brevis KB290 (KB290) against influenza in humans by a preliminary intervention study on elementary schoolchildren, using a commercially available probiotic drink. Subjects were divided into Groups A and B, and an open-label, parallel-group trial was conducted in two 8-week periods at a 1-month interval in winter 2013/2014. Group A was provided with a bottle of the test drink containing KB290 (about 6 billion colony-forming units) every school day in the first period and had no treatment in the second period, and vice versa for Group B. Epidemic influenza was not observed during the first period and only two of 1783 subjects were diagnosed. In the second period, the incidence of influenza in Groups A (no treatment) and B (provided the test drink) was 23·9 and 15·7%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P <0·001). The reduction in the incidence of influenza by KB290 consumption was especially remarkable in unvaccinated individuals. This is believed to be the first study to show a probiotic food reducing the incidence of influenza in schoolchildren, although further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the probiotic strain KB290.

Significance and Impact of the Study

We demonstrated a reduction in the incidence of influenza in 1089 schoolchildren by continual intake of a probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus brevis KB290 (KB290), isolated from a traditional Japanese pickle ‘Suguki’. The effect was especially evident in subjects not inoculated with influenza vaccine. This is believed to be the first report to show reduced incidence of influenza in schoolchildren taking a probiotic food. Further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the probiotic strain KB290, which may be useful in the development of potential anti-influenza agents derived from common foods.
Effects of Silodosin and Tamsulosin on the Seminal Vesicle Contractile Response
Authors: HAYASHI Tokumasa , TAKEYA Mitsue , NAKAMURA Kei‐ichiro , MATSUOKA Kei
Published: October 2014

Objectives

To understand the mechanisms underlying ejaculation dysfunction caused by α1A‐adrenocetor (AR) antagonists, the effects of α1A‐AR antagonists on the contractile responses of the seminal vesicle were investigated.

Methods

Isolated seminal vesicles from guinea pigs were cannulated and pressurized, and the changes in the intraluminal pressure were recorded. Periodic applications of electrical stimulation (ES) caused biphasic increase in the intraluminal pressure, that is, initial and subsequent contractions. The effects of silodosin and tamsulosin, α1A‐AR antagonists, on the contractile responses were examined.

Results

The ES‐induced biphasic contractions were blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX). Silodosin and tamsulosin suppressed the initial contractions in a dose‐dependent manner, while also exerting various inhibitory effects on the subsequent contractions. Increases in the intraluminal pressure facilitated spontaneous phasic contractions. The spontaneous contractions were not affected by TTX or α1A‐AR antagonists, but were abolished by nifedipine.

Conclusions

The initial contractions triggered by neuronal excitations were suppressed by silodosin and tamsulosin, suggesting that the ejaculation dysfunction may be attributed to the α1A‐AR antagonist‐mediated suppression of nerve‐evoked contractions in the seminal vesicle. The subsequent contractions may be induced by mechanical stimulation associated with the initial, nerve‐evoked contractions. Alternatively, other transmitters may be involved to various degrees in the neuromuscular transmission of the seminal vesicle.
Efficacy of Transurethral Vesical Deafferentation with Mid‐Urethral Sling Operation for Female Mixed Urinary Incontinence: Preliminary Results
Authors: KIM Sang Jin , PARK Jung Soo , LIM Kyoung Taek , MOON Hong Sang , KIM Yong Tae
Published: October 2014

Objectives

In female patients with mixed urinary incontinence (MUI), a mid‐urethral sling operation (MUS) is an effective treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), but urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) frequently persists. We developed a novel transurethral vesical deafferentation procedure and assessed its efficacy in these patients.

Methods

From December 2009 to December 2012, 41 female patients with MUI were enrolled prospectively. After baseline evaluation including urodynamic study and symptom questionnaires (Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Overactive Bladder [ICIQ‐OAB]), patients in the study group underwent both the deafferentation procedure and MUS, and those in the control group underwent MUS alone. The outcome was assessed 3 months after the operation by subjective assessment of SUI and OABSS.

Results

At 3 months, the treatment response rate of UUI was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group; UUI was improved in 80 and 57.1% of patients, respectively. SUI was cured in most patients. There were no serious complications, such as voiding symptom and urinary retention.

Conclusions

The transurethral vesical deafferentation procedure combined with MUS is effective for the treatment of MUI. The procedure is simple, safe and efficacious in treating urgency and UUI without affecting voiding function.
Cooperative Solutions for Large Economies with Asymmetric Information
Authors: Meo Claudia
Published: October 2014

A proof of the existence of private core allocations is provided for an exchange economy ε where consumers and commodities are both infinite in number, supposing however that only finitely many types can be distinguished among traders. It is obtained passing through the Edgeworth equilibrium notion considered for a suitably associated discrete setting. For this setting a preliminary result—which is interesting in itself—is proved: in every discrete economy E with asymmetric information and unequal numbers of traders with the same characteristics there is a private core allocation which treats agents of the same type equally.
Gene expression plasticity resulting from parental leaf damage in Mimulus guttatus
Authors: Colicchio Jack M. , Monnahan Patrick J. , Kelly John K. , Hileman Lena C.
Published: October 2014

Leaf trichome density in Mimulus guttatus can be altered by the parental environment. In this study, we compared global gene expression patterns in progeny of damaged and control plants. Significant differences in gene expression probably explain the observed trichome response, and identify additional responsive pathways.

Using whole transcriptome RNA sequencing, we estimated differential gene expression between isogenic seedlings whose parents had, or had not, been subject to leaf damage.

We identified over 900 genes that were differentially expressed in response to parental wounding. These genes clustered into groups involved in cell wall and cell membrane development, stress response pathways, and secondary metabolism.

Gene expression is modified as a consequence of the parental environment in a targeted way that probably alters multiple developmental pathways, and may increase progeny fitness if they experience environments similar to that of their parents.
Have We Gone From a Post‐War to a Pre‐War World?
Authors: MEAD WALTER RUSSELL
Published: October 2014

In 1990, right after the Berlin Wall fell, NPQ published our Spring edition, titled “The New World Disorder,” about the nationalistic chaos and up‐in‐theair sensibility of that fraught new historical moment.

Nearly a quarter of a century later, the regime of globalization that had supplanted the Cold War world of blocs is itself coming apart at the seams. Even Henry Kissinger these days says “the world order is crumbling.”

Will this New World Disorder 2.0 revert to a system of conflicting blocs, as during the Cold War, or will we be mature enough to save the interdependence of plural identities that is the foundation of a new global civilization?

In this section our contributors offer their perspectives on what the future holds.
Altered endothelial nitric oxide synthesis in preterm and small for gestational age infants
Authors: Huseynova Saadat Arif , Panakhova Nushaba Farkhad , Orujova Pusta Ali , Hasanov Safikhan Shamil , Guliyev Mehman Rustam , Yagubova Vafa Ilyas
Published: October 2014

Background

Preterm infants are often exposed to neuronal and endothelial damage. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between endothelial dysfunction and neuronal injury in preterm infants.

Methods

We compared serum nitric oxide (NO), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and neuron‐specific enolase (NSE) concentrations in 33 moderate preterm (MP) and 47 late preterm (LP) infants using standard ELISA. Each group was classified as appropriate for gestational age (AGA) or small for gestational age (SGA).

Results

Compared to the AGA infants, the SGA infants had higher NO on day 1 (MP: mean, 72.3 ng/mL, range, 50.9–99.5 ng/mL vs 52.2 ng/mL, range, 28.1–68.2 ng/mL, P < 0.05; LP: mean, 58.4 ng/mL, range, 25.7–66.4 ng/mL vs 43.7 ng/mL, range, 21.2–60.6 ng/mL, P < 0.05), lower eNOS concentration on day 3 in the MP group (mean, 5.8 IU/mL, range, 1.2–7.9 IU/mL vs 8.9 IU/mL, range, 4.2–14.6 IU/mL, P < 0.05), and on day 1 in the LP group (mean, 5.5 IU/mL, range, 1.5–8.1 IU/mL vs 7.7 IU/mL, range, 4.4–13.8 IU/mL, P < 0.05). The NO/eNOS ratio was higher in SGA infants compared with the AGA subgroups (MP: mean, 13.8, range, 9.9–20.2 vs mean, 9.9, range, 4.7–13.1, P < 0.05; LP: mean, 12.2, range, 9.2–19.9 vs mean, 9.9, range, 5.4–14.4, P < 0.05). AGA infants had lower NSE concentration compared with the SGA infants on day 1 in the LP group (mean, 27.4 ng/mL, range, 20–43 ng/mL vs mean, 40.89 ng/mL, range, 34–51 ng/mL, P < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between NO/eNOS ratio and NSE concentration (r = 0.75, P < 0.05 and r = 0.64, P < 0.05 on days 1 and 3, respectively).

Conclusion

High NO concentration in the context of low eNOS activity suggests a possible role of NO in the development of neuronal injury in SGA infants.
A longitudinal retrospective analysis of left ventricular mass in a cohort of pediatric kidney transplant recipients
Authors: McLaughlin Robyn , Hamiwka Lorraine , Samuel Susan , Fruitman Deborah , Grisaru Silviu
Published: October 2014

Childhood end‐stage kidney disease is associated with increased risk for early adulthood cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Increased LVM is an early indicator of CV disease. Previous studies have suggested that LVM decreases after kidney transplantation; however, trends have been inconsistent. A single center retrospective longitudinal cohort analysis of LVM, documented annually, starting before kidney transplantation for up to 10 yr after transplantation was performed. BP documented by annual 24‐h ambulatory monitoring studies, and BMI values were also reviewed. Twenty‐seven children followed for a mean period of 5.3 yr were included. Depending on definition of LVH, its prevalence pretransplant and in the first years post‐transplant was up to 33% dropping to 0–25% thereafter. Individual longitudinal LVM z‐score trends were highly variable but generally trended toward the mean immediately after transplant and toward negative values in the following years. BP was stable during the follow‐up period while mean annual BMI increased in the first‐year post‐transplant but declined thereafter. In a cohort of pediatric renal transplant recipients, prevalence of LVH decreased after transplant; however, individual longitudinal LVM trends were highly variable among patients. Prospective studies are needed to correlate individual LVM trends with outcomes.
Pro‐girl Bias in Intra‐household Allocation in the Rural Philippines: Revisiting the “Adult Goods” Approach
Authors: Fuwa Nobuhiko
Published: October 2014

This paper detects pro‐girl (age 5–15) bias in intra‐household allocation of consumption budget in the rural Philippines using Deaton's “adult goods” method. Based on additional checks (including those for endogeneity), the results appear to be robust. The paper also finds that a larger share of girls among household members is positively associated with a larger budget share on transportation, suggesting that parents pay more for girls' transportation, possibly because of safety concerns. The results also suggest that, despite some earlier results in the literature, the adult goods method is capable of detecting gender bias, although alcohol and tobacco may not be suitable for detecting gender bias.
Export Competition between Landlocked and Coastal Countries: An Analysis of Strategic Export Policies
Authors: Normizan Bakar , Yasunori Ishii
Published: October 2014

This paper analyzes economic rivalry between two firms using an international Cournot duopoly model, where a firm from a landlocked country (LC) and a firm from a coastal country (CC) compete in a third‐country market. It is assumed that the landlocked country firm adopts a transport‐cost reducing R&D subsidized by its government, while the CC government imposes a toll fee on the LC firm. The findings show since a change in the LC's transport‐cost reducing R&D subsidy has a positive effect on its export and a negative effect on the CC's export, both measures have effective strategic export policies.
Union Organizing and Labor Outreach in the Contemporary United States
Authors: Dixon Marc
Published: October 2014

Despite their long decline, labor unions increasingly find themselves in the news. From the spirited debate over income inequality, to fights over minimum wage and the unlikely mobilization of fast food workers at the very bottom of the American labor market, labor issues are of great public interest. In this article, I review scholarship on contemporary union organizing and outreach activity. This work suggests that while innovative organizing and outreach strategies, sometimes lumped together under the rubric of “social movement unionism” and “alt‐labor,” are demonstrated to be effective in advancing union causes, only a handful of unions appear to have the will and resources to utilize them. Moreover, while the implementation of new organizing and outreach strategies has been uneven and has not boosted union membership nationally, organized resistance to unions, from court rooms to state legislatures, has increased substantially.
Impact of intraoperatively salvaged and washed blood on stimulated cytokine release in vitro
Authors: Schneider Sven Oliver , Rensing Hauke , Hartmann Lisa , Grundmann Ulrich , Volk Thomas , Biedler Andreas
Published: October 2014

Background

Intraoperative blood salvage and processing it with commercially available devices is a widespread standard procedure to reduce allogeneic blood transfusion in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of such processed blood on the immune system by measuring pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines.

Study Design and Methods

Salvaged blood from 20 patients undergoing hip arthroplasty was processed with a continuous autotransfusion system. One part of the processed blood was left without further treatment, one part was additionally leukoreduced, one part was irradiated, and one part was separated into its cellular and soluble fraction by centrifugation. Specimens from each part were mixed in vitro with venous blood from the patient in ratios of 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3 and incubated with endotoxin for 24 hours. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interleukin (IL)‐10 were measured in cell culture supernatants by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

All parts of the salvaged blood were without a significant influence on TNF‐α release. In contrast, IL‐10 was significantly increased, independently of the admixtured salvaged blood being plain, additionally irradiated, or additionally leukoreduced. This IL‐10 increase was also found with the cellular fraction of the plain salvaged blood, whereas the soluble fraction had no influence on IL‐10 release.

Conclusion

Intraoperative salvaged blood is not immunologically inert. We observed a significant increase in the anti‐inflammatory IL‐10 response without affecting the proinflammatory TNF‐α release. Neither leukofiltration nor gamma irradiation eliminated this effect that was limited only to the cellular fraction of the salvaged blood, suggesting red blood cells to be responsible for the observed immunomodulation.
Novel approach to improve heat dissipation of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors with a Cu filled via under device active area
Authors: Hwang Ya-Hsi , Kang Tsung-Sheng , Ren Fan , Pearton Stephen J.
Published: October 2014

A through Si-substrate via-hole under the active area of GaN-based HEMTs grown on Si substrates is proposed to reduce the maximum junction temperature. Due to the large lattice mismatch between Si and GaN, an AlN nucleation layer and an AlGaN transition layer are required to grow GaN layers on Si substrates. This AlN nucleation layer is very defective and thermally resistive. The proposed through Si-substrate via-hole offers access to this AlN nucleation layer from the back side of the wafer. By removing this highly thermally resistive layer and plating the via hole with copper, the maximum junction temperature can be reduced from 146 to 120 °C at a power density of 5 W/mm. Besides reducing the maximum junction temperature of the HEMT, this through Si-substrate via-hole can be electrically connected to the source contact and act as a backside source field plate to reduce the maximum electric field around the gate edges and thereby increase the drain breakdown voltage. If this through Si-substrate via-hole is connected to the front gate pad, it can also behave as a back gate to improve front gate modulation.
Aeroacoustic model of a modulation fan with pitching blades as a sound generator
Authors: Du Lin , Jing Xiaodong , Sun Xiaofeng , Song Weihua
Published: October 2014

This paper is to develop an aeroacoustic model for a type of modulation fan termed as rotary subwoofer that is capable of radiating low-frequency sound at high sound pressure levels. The rotary subwoofer is modeled as a baffled monopole whose source strength is specified by the fluctuating mass flow rate produced by the pitching blades that rotate at constant speed. An immersed boundary method is established to simulate the detailed unsteady flow around the blades and also to estimate the source strength for the prediction of the far-field sound pressure level (SPL). The numerical simulation shows that the rotary subwoofer can output oscillating air flow that is in phase with the pitching motion of the blades. It is found that flow separation is more likely to occur on the pitching blades at higher modulation frequency, resulting in the reduction of the radiated SPL. Increasing the maximum blade excursion is one of the most effective means to enhance the sound radiation, but this effect can also be compromised by the flow separation. As the modulation frequency increases, correspondingly increasing the rotational speed or using larger blade solidity is beneficial to suppressing the flow separation and thus improving the acoustic performance of the rotary subwoofer.
Interaction between articulatory gestures and inner speech in a counting task
Authors: Cefidekhanie Ali Hadian , Savariaux Christophe , Sato Marc , Schwartz Jean-Luc
Published: October 2014

Interaction between covert and overt orofacial gestures has been poorly studied apart from old and rather qualitative experiments. The question deserves special interest in the context of the debate between auditory and motor theories of speech perception, where dual tasks may be of great interest. It is shown here that dynamic mandible and lips movement produced by a participant result in strong and stable perturbations to an inner speech counting task that has to be realized at the same time, while static orofacial configurations and static or dynamic manual actions produce no perturbation. This enables the authors to discuss how such kinds of orofacial perturbations could be introduced in dual task paradigms to assess the role of motor processes in speech perception.
Comparison of nine methods to estimate ear-canal stimulus levels
Authors: Souza Natalie N. , Dhar Sumitrajit , Neely Stephen T. , Siegel Jonathan H.
Published: October 2014

The reliability of nine measures of the stimulus level in the human ear canal was compared by measuring the sensitivity of behavioral hearing thresholds to changes in the depth of insertion of an otoacoustic emission probe. Four measures were the ear-canal pressure, the eardrum pressure estimated from it and the pressure measured in an ear simulator with and without compensation for insertion depth. The remaining five quantities were derived from the ear-canal pressure and the Thévenin-equivalent source characteristics of the probe: Forward pressure, initial forward pressure, the pressure transmitted into the middle ear, eardrum sound pressure estimated by summing the magnitudes of the forward and reverse pressure (integrated pressure) and absorbed power. Two sets of behavioral thresholds were measured in 26 subjects from 0.125 to 20 kHz, with the probe inserted at relatively deep and shallow positions in the ear canal. The greatest dependence on insertion depth was for transmitted pressure and absorbed power. The measures with the least dependence on insertion depth throughout the frequency range (best performance) included the depth-compensated simulator, eardrum, forward, and integrated pressures. Among these, forward pressure is advantageous because it quantifies stimulus phase.
Normal modes of a small gamelan gong
Authors: Perrin Robert , Elford Daniel P. , Chalmers Luke , Swallowe Gerry M. , Moore Thomas R. , Hamdan Sinin , Halkon Benjamin J.
Published: October 2014

Studies have been made of the normal modes of a 20.7 cm diameter steel gamelan gong. A finite-element model has been constructed and its predictions for normal modes compared with experimental results obtained using electronic speckle pattern interferometry. Agreement was reasonable in view of the lack of precision in the manufacture of the instrument. The results agree with expectations for an axially symmetric system subject to small symmetry breaking. The extent to which the results obey Chladni's law is discussed. Comparison with vibrational and acoustical spectra enabled the identification of the small number of modes responsible for the sound output when played normally. Evidence of non-linear behavior was found, mainly in the form of subharmonics of true modes. Experiments using scanning laser Doppler vibrometry gave satisfactory agreement with the other methods.
Nonlinear stiffness characteristics of the annular ligament
Authors: Lauxmann M. , Eiber A. , Haag F. , Ihrle S.
Published: October 2014

The annular ligament provides a compliant connection of the stapes to the oval window. To estimate the stiffness characteristics of the annular ligament, human temporal bone measurements were conducted. A force was applied sequentially at several points on the stapes footplate leading to different patterns of displacement with different amounts of translational and rotational components. The spatial displacement of the stapes footplate was measured using a laser vibrometer. The experiments were performed on several stapes with dissected chain and the force was increased stepwise, resulting in load-deflection curves for each force application point. The annular ligament exhibited a progressive stiffening characteristic in combination with an inhomogeneous stiffness distribution. When a centric force, orientated in the lateral direction, was applied to the stapes footplate, the stapes head moved laterally and in the posterior-inferior direction. Based on the load-deflection curves, a mechanical model of the annular ligament was derived. The mathematical representation of the compliance of the annular ligament results in a stiffness matrix with a nonlinear dependence on stapes displacement. This description of the nonlinear stiffness allows simulations of the sound transfer behavior of the middle ear for different preloads.
A Bug in the System for Artificial Sweeteners
Authors: Haldar Saptarsi M.
Published: October 2014

Artificial sweeteners impair glucose tolerance in mice and humans by affecting the gut microbiome.
A New Innate Cell on the Block
Authors: Round June L.
Published: October 2014

A new CD8α
+
cell found in the intestine has innate-like functions and is important for promoting intestinal health.
Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Favor Conversion of Arginine into Ornithine despite a Widespread Genetic Potential for Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity
Authors: Sánchez Mainar María , Weckx Stefan , Leroy Frédéric
Published: October 2014

Within ecosystems that are poor in carbohydrates, alternative substrates such as arginine may be of importance to coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS). However, the versatility of arginine conversion in CNS remains largely uncharted. Therefore, a set of 86 strains belonging to 17 CNS species was screened for arginine deiminase (ADI), arginase, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities, in view of their ecological relevance. In fermented meats, for instance, ADI could improve bacterial competitiveness, whereas NOS may serve as an alternative nitrosomyoglobin generator to nitrate and nitrite curing. About 80% of the strains were able to convert arginine, but considerable inter- and intraspecies heterogeneity regarding the extent and mechanism of conversion was found. Overall, ADI was the most commonly employed pathway, resulting in mixtures of ornithine and small amounts of citrulline. Under aerobic conditions, which are more relevant for skin-associated CNS communities, several strains shifted toward arginase activity, leading to the production of ornithine and urea. The obtained data indeed suggest that arginase occurs relatively more in CNS isolates from a dairy environment, whereas ADI seems to be more abundant in strains from a fermented meat background. With some exceptions, a reasonable match between phenotypic ADI and arginase activity and the presence of the encoding genes (
arcA
and
arg
) was found. With respect to the NOS pathway, however, only one strain (
Staphylococcus haemolyticus
G110) displayed phenotypic NOS-like activity under aerobic conditions, despite a wide prevalence of the NOS-encoding gene (
nos
) among CNS. Hence, the group of CNS displays a strain- and condition-dependent toolbox of arginine-converting mechanisms with potential implications for competitiveness and functionality.
Molecular Epidemiology of Cases of Mycoplasma californicum Infection in Japan
Authors: Hata Eiji , Suzuki Kan-ichiro , Hanyu Hideki , Itoh Megumi , Higuchi Hidetoshi , Kobayashi Hideki
Published: October 2014

Bovine mastitis due toMycoplasmacalifornicumis often accompanied by huge economic losses, and the disease spreads very quickly. An appropriate molecular epidemiological analysis is needed to prevent and control infectious disease, but molecular epidemiological analysis methods forM. californicumhave not yet been reported. Here we developed a combination of multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) methods, which are common genotyping methods for various bacteria, forM. californicum. The MLVA is based on four interspersed repeat units that were found in theM. californicumgenome data. The MLVA using these repeat units showed sufficient discriminatory power for a molecular epidemiological analysis; i.e., a Hunter-Gaston diversity index (HGDI) of 0.949, againstM.californicumstrains in Japan andM. californicumstrain ATCC 33461. The PFGE forM. californicumalso showed sufficient discriminatory power, with an HGDI of 0.985. Strain ATCC 33461 showed MLVA profiles and pulsotypes that differed greatly from those of strains from Japan. These results indicate that MLVA and PFGE are good tools for identifyingM. californicumtransmission events more accurately. Our combined MLVA and PFGE analysis suggests the persistence ofM.californicuminfection among herds in a specific area for a long period of time, as well as the movement of cows and heifers accompanying the expansion ofM. californicuminfection. Failure to identify asymptomatic infected cows is suspected as one of the central causes of the presentM.californicuminfection scenario in Japan.
Phosphotransferase System-Dependent Extracellular Growth of Listeria monocytogenes Is Regulated by Alternative Sigma Factors σLand σH
Authors: Wang Siyun , Orsi Renato H. , Tang Silin , Zhang Wei , Wiedmann Martin , Boor Kathryn J.
Published: October 2014

Alternative sigma (σ) factors and phosphotransferase systems (PTSs) play pivotal roles in the environmental adaptation and virulence ofListeria monocytogenes. The growth of theL. monocytogenesparent strain 10403S and 15 isogenic alternative σ factor mutants was assessed in defined minimal medium (DM) with PTS-dependent or non-PTS-dependent carbon sources at 25°C or 37°C. Overall, our results suggested that the regulatory effect of alternative σ factors on the growth ofL. monocytogenesis dependent on the temperature and the carbon source. One-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) showed that the factor “strain” had a significant effect on the maximum growth rate (μmax), lag phase duration (λ), and maximum optical density (ODmax) in PTS-dependent carbon sources (P< 0.05) but not in a non-PTS-dependent carbon source. Also, the ODmaxwas not affected by strain for any of the three PTS-dependent carbon sources at 25°C but was affected by strain at 37°C. Monitoring by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that transcript levels forlmo0027, a glucose-glucoside PTS permease (PTSGlc-1)-encoding gene, were higher in the absence of σL, and lower in the absence of σH, than in the parent strain. Our data thus indicate that σLnegatively regulateslmo0027and that the increased μmaxobserved for the ΔsigLstrain in DM with glucose may be associated with increased expression of PTSGlc-1 encoded bylmo0027. Our findings suggest that σHand σLmediate the PTS-dependent growth ofL. monocytogenesthrough complex transcriptional regulations and fine-tuning of the expression of specificptsgenes, includinglmo0027. Our findings also reveal a more important and complex role of alternative σ factors in the regulation of growth in different sugar sources than previously assumed.
Genetic Diversity of Picocyanobacteria in Tibetan Lakes: Assessing the Endemic and Universal Distributions
Authors: Huang Sijun , Liu Yongqin , Hu Anyi , Liu Xiaobo , Chen Feng , Yao Tandong , Jiao Nianzhi
Published: October 2014

The phylogenetic diversity of picocyanobacteria in seven alkaline lakes on the Tibetan Plateau was analyzed using the molecular marker 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer sequence. A total of 1,077 environmental sequences retrieved from the seven lakes were grouped into seven picocyanobacterial clusters, with two clusters newly described here. Each of the lakes was dominated by only one or two clusters, while different lakes could have disparate communities, suggesting low alpha diversity but high beta diversity of picocyanobacteria in these high-altitude freshwater and saline lakes. Several globally distributed clusters were found in these Tibetan lakes, such as subalpine cluster I and the
Cyanobium gracile
cluster. Although other clusters likely exhibit geographic restriction to the plateau temporally, reflecting endemicity, they can indeed be distributed widely on the plateau. Lakes with similar salinities may have similar genetic populations despite a large geographic distance. Canonical correspondence analysis identified salinity as the only environmental factor that may in part explain the diversity variations among lakes. Mantel tests suggested that the community similarities among lakes are independent of geographic distance. A portion of the picocyanobacterial clusters appear to be restricted to a narrow salinity range, while others are likely adapted to a broad range. A seasonal survey of Lake Namucuo across 3 years did not show season-related variations in diversity, and depth-related population partitioning was observed along a vertical profile of the lake. Our study emphasizes the high dispersive potential of picocyanobacteria and suggests that the regional distribution may result from adaptation to specified environments.
Impact of Ralstonia eutropha's Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) Depolymerases and Phasins on PHB Storage in Recombinant Escherichia coli
Authors: Eggers Jessica , Steinbüchel Alexander
Published: October 2014

The model organism for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biosynthesis,
Ralstonia eutropha
H16, possesses multiple isoenzymes of granules coating phasins as well as of PHB depolymerases, which degrade accumulated PHB under conditions of carbon limitation. In this study, recombinant
Escherichia coli
BL21(DE3) strains were used to study the impact of selected PHB depolymerases of
R. eutropha
H16 on the growth behavior and on the amount of accumulated PHB in the absence or presence of phasins. For this purpose, 20 recombinant
E. coli
BL21(DE3) strains were constructed, which harbored a plasmid carrying the
phaCAB
operon from
R. eutropha
H16 to ensure PHB synthesis and a second plasmid carrying different combinations of the genes encoding a phasin and a PHB depolymerase from
R. eutropha
H16. It is shown in this study that the growth behavior of the respective recombinant
E. coli
strains was barely affected by the overexpression of the phasin and PHB depolymerase genes. However, the impact on the PHB contents was significantly greater. The strains expressing the genes of the PHB depolymerases PhaZ1, PhaZ2, PhaZ3, and PhaZ7 showed 35% to 94% lower PHB contents after 30 h of cultivation than the control strain. The strain harboring
phaZ7
reached by far the lowest content of accumulated PHB (only 2.0% [wt/wt] PHB of cell dry weight). Furthermore, coexpression of phasins in addition to the PHB depolymerases influenced the amount of PHB stored in cells of the respective strains. It was shown that the phasins PhaP1, PhaP2, and PhaP4 are not substitutable without an impact on the amount of stored PHB. In particular, the phasins PhaP2 and PhaP4 seemed to limit the degradation of PHB by the PHB depolymerases PhaZ2, PhaZ3, and PhaZ7, whereas almost no influence of the different phasins was observed if
phaZ1
was coexpressed. This study represents an extensive analysis of the impact of PHB depolymerases and phasins on PHB accumulation and provides a deeper insight into the complex interplay of these enzymes.
A Hidden Pitfall in the Preparation of Agar Media Undermines Microorganism Cultivability
Authors: Tanaka Tomohiro , Kawasaki Kosei , Daimon Serina , Kitagawa Wataru , Yamamoto Kyosuke , Tamaki Hideyuki , Tanaka Michiko , Nakatsu Cindy H. , Kamagata Yoichi
Published: October 2014

Microbiologists have been using agar growth medium for over 120 years. It revolutionized microbiology in the 1890s when microbiologists were seeking effective methods to isolate microorganisms, which led to the successful cultivation of microorganisms as single clones. But there has been a disparity between total cell counts and cultivable cell counts on plates, often referred to as the “great plate count anomaly,” that has long been a phenomenon that still remains unsolved. Here, we report that a common practice microbiologists have employed to prepare agar medium has a hidden pitfall: when phosphate was autoclaved together with agar to prepare solid growth media (PT medium), total colony counts were remarkably lower than those grown on agar plates in which phosphate and agar were separately autoclaved and mixed right before solidification (PS medium). We used a pure culture of
Gemmatimonas aurantiaca
T-27
T
and three representative sources of environmental samples, soil, sediment, and water, as inocula and compared colony counts between PT and PS agar plates. There were higher numbers of CFU on PS medium than on PT medium using
G. aurantiaca
or any of the environmental samples. Chemical analysis of PT agar plates suggested that hydrogen peroxide was contributing to growth inhibition. Comparison of 454 pyrosequences of the environmental samples to the isolates revealed that taxa grown on PS medium were more reflective of the original community structure than those grown on PT medium. Moreover, more hitherto-uncultivated microbes grew on PS than on PT medium.