bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Importance of an Adequately Performed Valsalva Maneuver for Detecting a Right‐to‐Left Shunt Indicating Foramen Ovale Reopening
Authors: Wei Dongmei , Ju Yi
Published: April 2015

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of an adequately performed Valsalva maneuver for detecting a right‐to‐left shunt indicating reopening of the functional closure of the foramen ovale.

Methods

We prospectively analyzed 260 patients (102 women and 158 men; mean age ± SD, 41 ± 19 years; range, 13–83 years) who underwent transesophageal echocardiography and agitated saline injection. Two‐dimensional echocardiography, color Doppler imaging, and microbubbles were used to detect right‐to‐left shunts, and the Valsalva maneuver was performed to determine whether the functional closure of the foramen ovale had reopened.

Results

Transesophageal echocardiography with color Doppler imaging identified a patent foramen ovale in 20 patients: 18 patients with a patent foramen ovale had left‐to‐right shunts, and 2 patients with atrial septal defects had bidirectional shunts. Both patients with atrial septal defects showed right‐to‐left shunt microbubbles without and with the Valsalva maneuver, whereas all 18 patients with a patent foramen ovale showed right‐to‐left shunt microbubbles only after the Valsalva maneuver. Foramen ovale reopening was identified by transesophageal echocardiography in an additional 40 patients with no shunt during rest on agitated saline injection and in whom the right‐to‐left shunt appeared only after the Valsalva maneuver. The Valsalva maneuver could cause an atrial septal swing, and its sensitivity and specificity were 100%.

Conclusions

An adequately performed Valsalva maneuver is important for detecting a right‐to‐left shunt indicating reopening of the functional closure of the foramen ovale.
Multicentury changes in ocean and land contributions to the climate‐carbon feedback
Authors: Randerson J. T. , Lindsay K. , Munoz E. , Fu W. , Moore J. K. , Hoffman F. M. , Mahowald N. M. , Doney S. C.
Published: April 2015

Improved constraints on carbon cycle responses to climate change are needed to inform mitigation policy, yet our understanding of how these responses may evolve after 2100 remains highly uncertain. Using the Community Earth System Model (v1.0), we quantified climate‐carbon feedbacks from 1850 to 2300 for the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 and its extension. In three simulations, land and ocean biogeochemical processes experienced the same trajectory of increasing atmospheric CO2. Each simulation had a different degree of radiative coupling for CO2 and other greenhouse gases and aerosols, enabling diagnosis of feedbacks. In a fully coupled simulation, global mean surface air temperature increased by 9.3 K from 1850 to 2300, with 4.4 K of this warming occurring after 2100. Excluding CO2, warming from other greenhouse gases and aerosols was 1.6 K by 2300, near a 2 K target needed to avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Ocean contributions to the climate‐carbon feedback increased considerably over time and exceeded contributions from land after 2100. The sensitivity of ocean carbon to climate change was found to be proportional to changes in ocean heat content, as a consequence of this heat modifying transport pathways for anthropogenic CO2 inflow and solubility of dissolved inorganic carbon. By 2300, climate change reduced cumulative ocean uptake by 330 Pg C, from 1410 Pg C to 1080 Pg C. Land fluxes similarly diverged over time, with climate change reducing stocks by 232 Pg C. Regional influence of climate change on carbon stocks was largest in the North Atlantic Ocean and tropical forests of South America. Our analysis suggests that after 2100, oceans may become as important as terrestrial ecosystems in regulating the magnitude of the climate‐carbon feedback.
Frequency dependence of delayed and instantaneous triggering on laboratory and simulated faults governed by rate‐state friction
Authors: van der Elst Nicholas J. , Savage Heather M.
Published: April 2015

Earthquake triggering by transient stresses is commonly observed; however, some aspects remain unexplained. The first is the often‐observed delay between the triggered earthquakes and the triggering waves, and the second is the unexpected effectiveness of transient stressing in the seismic frequency band. Previous theoretical and laboratory studies have suggested that seismic transients should have little impact on faults if the duration of the transient is smaller than the timescale for nucleation of slip. We reexamine the dynamics of stress triggering during stick‐slip sliding on a laboratory fault and make three important observations that pertain to earthquake triggering. (1) Delayed triggering (clock advance) occurs for both bare granite surfaces and granular gouge prior to the onset of instantaneous triggering. (2) Triggering occurs much earlier in the stick‐slip cycle than expected for a simple Coulomb stress threshold. (3) Shorter‐period (higher stressing rate) pulses are more effective at triggering than longer‐period pulses of the same stress amplitude. We use numerical simulations to show that rate‐state friction can explain each of the observed features but not all three simultaneously. Only the Ruina slip law for state evolution, in which faults must slip to heal, can reproduce early‐onset and stressing rate‐dependent triggering. The laboratory and numerical experiments show that faults can remain relatively weak over much of the seismic cycle and that the triggered response depends on a competition between healing and weakening during triggered slip. Transient stressing at seismic frequencies may be more effective at triggering earthquakes than previously recognized.
Lidar observations of gravity wave activity in the middle atmosphere over Davis (69°S, 78°E), Antarctica
Authors: Kaifler B. , Lübken F.‐J. , Höffner J. , Morris R. J. , Viehl T. P.
Published: April 2015

A 16 month series of lidar measurements in the stratosphere and mesosphere‐lower thermosphere (MLT) region over Davis Station (69°S, 78°E) in Antarctica is used to study gravity waves. The unprecedentedly large number of observations totaling 2310 h allows us to investigate seasonal variations in gravity wave activity in great detail. In the stratosphere the gravity wave potential energy density (GWPED) is shown to have a large seasonal variation with a double peak in winter and minimum in summer. We find conservative wave propagation to occur between 29 and 41 km altitude in winter as well as in summer, whereas smaller energy growth rates were observed in spring and autumn. These results are consistent with selective critical‐level filtering of gravity waves in the lower stratosphere. In the MLT region the GWPED is found to have a semiannual oscillation with maxima in winter and summer. The structure of the winter peak is identical to that in the stratosphere, suggesting that the gravity wave flux reaching the MLT region is controlled by the wind field near the tropopause level.
Spatiotemporal variability of modern precipitation δ18O in the central Andes and implications for paleoclimate and paleoaltimetry estimates
Authors: Fiorella Richard P. , Poulsen Christopher J. , Pillco Zolá Ramiro S. , Barnes Jason B. , Tabor Clay R. , Ehlers Todd A.
Published: April 2015

Understanding the patterns of rainfall isotopic composition in the central Andes is hindered by sparse observations. Despite limited observational data, stable isotope tracers have been commonly used to constrain modern‐to‐ancient Andean atmospheric processes, as well as to reconstruct paleoclimate and paleoaltimetry histories. Here, we present isotopic compositions of precipitation (δ18Op and δDp) from 11 micrometeorological stations located throughout the Bolivian Altiplano and along its eastern flank at ~21.5°S. We collected and isotopically analyzed 293 monthly bulk precipitation samples (August 2008 to April 2013). δ18Op values ranged from −28.0‰ to 9.6‰, with prominent seasonal cycles expressed at all stations. We observed a strong relationship between the δ18Op and elevation, though it varies widely in time and space. Constraints on air sourcing estimated from atmospheric back trajectory calculations indicate that continental‐scale climate dynamics control the interannual variability in δ18Op, with upwind precipitation anomalies having the largest effect. The impact of precipitation anomalies in distant air source regions to the central Andes is in turn modulated by the Bolivian High. The importance of the Bolivian High is most clearly observed on the southern Bolivian Altiplano. However, monthly variability among Altiplano stations can exceed 10‰ in δ18Op on the plateau and cannot be explained by elevation or source variability, indicating a nontrivial role for local scale effects on short timescales. The strong influence of atmospheric circulation on central Andean δ18Op requires that paleoclimate and paleoaltimetry studies consider the role of South American atmospheric paleocirculation in their interpretation of stable isotopic values as proxies.
Orographic effects of the subtropical and extratropical Andes on upwind precipitating clouds
Authors: Viale Maximiliano , Garreaud René
Published: April 2015

The orographic effect of the Andes (30°S–55°S) on upwind precipitating clouds from midlatitude frontal systems is investigated using surface and satellite data. Rain gauges between 33°S and 44°S indicate that annual precipitation increases from the Pacific coast to the windward slopes by a factor of 1.8 ± 0.3. Hourly gauges and instantaneous satellite estimates reveal that the cross‐barrier increase in annual precipitation responds to an increase in both the intensity and frequency of precipitation. CloudSat satellite data indicate that orographic effects of the Andes on precipitating ice clouds increase gradually from midlatitudes to subtropics, likely as a result of a reduction of synoptic forcing and an increase of the height of the Andes equatorward. To the south of 40°S, the thickness of clouds slightly decreases from offshore to the Andes. The total ice content increases substantially from the open ocean to the coastal zone (except to the south of 50°S, where there is no much variation over the ocean), and then experience little changes in the cross‐mountain direction over the upstream and upslope sectors. Nevertheless, the maximum ice content over the upslope sector is larger and occurs at a lower level than their upwind counterparts. In the subtropics, the offshore clouds contain almost no ice, but the total and maximum ice content significantly increases toward the Andes, with values being much larger than their counterparts over the extratropical Andes. Further, the largest amounts of cloud ice are observed upstream of the tallest Andes, suggesting that upstream blocking dominates there.
Significant Capacity and Cycle‐Life Improvement of Lithium‐Ion Batteries through Ultrathin Conductive Film Stabilized Cathode Particles
Authors: Patel Rajankumar L. , Xie Hui , Park Jonghyun , Asl Hooman Yaghoobnejad , Choudhury Amitava , Liang Xinhua
Published: April 2015

Atomic layer deposition (ALD), as a thin film deposition technique, has been explored as a viable path to improve the performance of lithium‐ion batteries. However, a trade‐off between the species transport (capacity) and protection (lifetime), resulting from the insulating properties of ALD films, is the key challenge in ALD technology. Here we report a breakthrough to overcome this trade‐off by coating an ultrathin conformal cerium dioxide (CeO2) film on the surfaces of LiMn2O4 particles. The optimized CeO2 film (≈3 nm) coated particles exhibit a significant improvement in capacity and cycling performance compared to uncoated (UC), Al2O3 coated, and ZrO2 coated samples at room temperature and 55 °C for long cycling numbers. The initial capacity of the 3 nm CeO2‐coated sample shows 24% increment compared to the capacity of the uncoated one, and 96% and 95% of the initial capacity is retained after 1000 cycles with 1C rate at room temperature and 55 °C, respectively. The detailed electrochemical data reveal that the suppression of the impedance rise and the facile transport of the species are the main contributors to the success.
Arrays of Hollow Silica Half‐Nanospheres Via the Breath Figure Approach
Authors: Gao Yangqin , Hou Yuanfang , Beaujuge Pierre M.
Published: April 2015

Breath figures (BFs) are patterns of liquid droplets that usually form upon condensation on a cold surface. Earlier work has shown that BFs can be used to produce continuous films of porous honeycomb‐structured patterns on various types of materials, paving the path to a number of important applications such as the manufacturing of highly ordered nano‐ and micron‐sized templates, micro lenses, and superhydrophobic coatings. It is worth noting, however, that few new findings have been reported in this area in recent years, limiting pursuits of novel architectures and key applications. In this report, an alternative method is described by which arrays of hollow silica half‐nanospheres can be produced via BF templates. In the present method, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) protocol performed while the BF is formed on a glass substrate yields a nanostructured pattern of silica half‐spheres, which size (100–700 nm) and density across the glass surface vary with substrate modification and with the relative rates of water condensation and hydrolysis from silica precursors (a process carried out at room temperature). This method of forming arrays of hollow half‐nanospheres via the BF approach may be applicable to various other oxides and a broad range of substrates including large‐area flexible plastics.
Manufacturing and mechanical characterization of perforated hybrid composites based on flexible polyurethane foam
Authors: Lou Ching‐Wen , Huang Shih‐Yu , Yan Ruosi , Lin Jia‐Horng
Published: April 2015

This study focused on the fabrication and mechanical evaluation of nonwoven reinforced flexible polyurethane foam composites. Effects of perforation ratio, aperture size, and perforation depth on bursting and low‐velocity impact responses of perforated composite panels were investigated. The nonwoven fabric used for cover sheet was composed of flame retardant polyester, low‐melting point polyester, and recycled Kevlar staple fibers. Blending ratio of Kevlar fiber was confirmed to have relation to mechanical mechanism of cushioning layer. The highest mechanical strength value was obtained at 5 wt % of Kevlar ratio because of the highest cohesive force among recycled Kevlar, flame retardant polyester, and low‐melting point polyester fibers was provided at the blending ratio. The perforated high‐density flexible polyurethane foam composites panel was adhered with intra‐ply hybrid laminates with various areal densities on each face to form sandwich structural composites. The results revealed that perforation ratio and aperture significantly influenced the bursting and low‐velocity impact resistance behaviors of the perforated composites panel. Perforated composites with 10% perforation ratio and 4 mm aperture lead to maximum bursting strength of 437 N. Additional hybrid laminates significantly promoted the maximum bursting strength of the semiperforated hybrid composites by 212%. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42288.
Motivations for sharing information and social support in social media: A comparative analysis of Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, YouTube, and Flickr
Authors: Oh Sanghee , Syn Sue Yeon
Published: April 2015

The success or failure of social media is highly dependent on the active participation of its users. In order to examine the influential factors that inspire dynamic and eager participation, this study investigates what motivates social media users to share their personal experiences, information, and social support with anonymous others. A variety of information‐sharing activities in social media, including creating postings, photos, and videos in 5 different types of social media: Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, YouTube, and Flickr, were observed. Ten factors: enjoyment, self‐efficacy, learning, personal gain, altruism, empathy, social engagement, community interest, reciprocity, and reputation, were tested to identify the motivations of social media users based on reviews of major motivation theories and models. Findings from this study indicate that all of the 10 motivations are influential in encouraging users' information sharing to some degree and strongly correlate with one another. At the same time, motivations differ across the 5 types of social media, given that they deliver different information content and serve different purposes. Understanding such differences in motivations could benefit social media developers and those organizations or institutes that would like to use social media to facilitate communication among their community members; appropriate types of social media could be chosen that would fit their own purposes and they could develop strategies that would encourage their members to contribute to their communities through social media.
Nanostructured Electrocatalysts for All‐Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
Authors: Park Minjoon , Ryu Jaechan , Cho Jaephil
Published: April 2015

Vanadium redox reactions have been considered as a key factor affecting the energy efficiency of the all‐vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). This redox reaction determines the reaction kinetics of whole cells. However, poor kinetic reversibility and catalytic activity towards the V2+/V3+ and VO2+/VO2+ redox couples on the commonly used carbon substrate limit broader applications of VRFBs. Consequently, modified carbon substrates have been extensively investigated to improve vanadium redox reactions. In this Focus Review, recent progress on metal‐ and carbon‐based nanomaterials as an electrocatalyst for VRFBs is discussed in detail, without the intention to provide a comprehensive review on the whole components of the system. Instead, the focus is mainly placed on the redox chemistry of vanadium ions at a surface of various metals, different dimensional carbons, nitrogen‐doped carbon nanostructures, and metal–carbon composites.
Why organisms age: Evolution of senescence under positive pleiotropy?
Authors: Maklakov Alexei A. , Rowe Locke , Friberg Urban
Published: April 2015

Two classic theories maintain that aging evolves either because of alleles whose deleterious effects are confined to late life or because of alleles with broad pleiotropic effects that increase early‐life fitness at the expense of late‐life fitness. However, empirical studies often reveal positive pleiotropy for fitness across age classes, and recent evidence suggests that selection on early‐life fitness can decelerate aging and increase lifespan, thereby casting doubt on the current consensus. Here, we briefly review these data and promote the simple argument that aging can evolve under positive pleiotropy between early‐ and late‐life fitness when the deleterious effect of mutations increases with age. We argue that this hypothesis makes testable predictions and is supported by existing evidence.
Models and people: An alternative view of the emergent properties of computational models
Authors: Boschetti Fabio
Published: April 2015

Computer models can help humans gain insight into the functioning of complex systems. Used for training, they can also help gain insight into the cognitive processes humans use to understand these systems. By influencing humans understanding (and consequent actions) computer models can thus generate an impact on both these actors and the very systems they are designed to simulate. When these systems also include humans, a number of self‐referential relations thus emerge which can lead to very complex dynamics. This is particularly true when we explicitly acknowledge and model the existence of multiple conflicting representations of reality among different individuals. Given the increasing availability of computational devices, the use of computer models to support individual and shared decision making could potentially have implications far wider than the ones often discussed within the Information and Communication Technologies community in terms of computational power and network communication. We discuss some theoretical implications and describe some initial numerical simulations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 202–213, 2016
Mutual synchronization behavior for chaotic systems via limited capacity communication channels
Authors: Lin Da , Wang Xingyuan , Zhang Fuchen , Yao Yi
Published: April 2015

Several important properties of chaos synchronization of bidirectional coupled systems remain still unexplored. This article investigates synchronization behavior for chaotic systems subject to states quantization. Based on the invariance principle of differential equations, an adaptive feedback scheme is proposed to strictly synchronize chaotic systems via limited capacity communication channels. Furthermore, it is important to point out that the mutual synchronization behavior for bidirectional coupled systems is determined by the amount of transmitting information and the initial states of coupled systems. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 335–342, 2016
Comparative organochlorine accumulation in two ecologically similar shark species (Carcharodon carcharias and Carcharhinus obscurus) with divergent uptake based on different life history
Authors: Beaudry Marina C. , Hussey Nigel E. , McMeans Bailey C. , McLeod Anne M. , Wintner Sabine P. , Cliff Geremy , Dudley Sheldon F. J. , Fisk Aaron T.
Published: April 2015

Trophic position and body mass are traits commonly used to predict organochlorine burdens. Sharks, however, have a variety of feeding and life history strategies and metabolize lipid uniquely. Because of this diversity, and the lipid-association of organochlorines, the dynamics of organochlorine accumulation in sharks may be predicted ineffectively by stable isotope-derived trophic position and body mass, as is typical for other taxa. The present study compared ontogenetic organochlorine profiles in the dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) and white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which differ in metabolic thermoregulation and trophic position throughout their ontogeny. Although greater organochlorine concentrations were observed in the larger bodied and higher trophic position white shark (e.g., p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene: 20.2 ± 2.7 ng/g vs 9.3 ± 2.2 ng/g in the dusky shark), slopes of growth-dilution corrected concentrations with age were equal to those of the dusky shark. Similar ontogenetic trophic position increases in both species, less frequent white shark seal predation than previously assumed, or inaccurate species-specific growth parameters are possible explanations. Inshore habitat use (indicated by δ13C values) and mass were important predictors in white and dusky sharks, respectively, of both overall compound profiles and select organochlorine concentrations. The present study clarified understanding of trophic position and body mass as reliable predictors of interspecific organochlorine accumulation in sharks, whereas regional endothermy and diet shifting were shown to have less impact on overall rates of accumulation. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:2051–2060. © 2015 SETAC
Defining the Dynamic Conformational Networks of Cross‐β Peptide Assembly
Authors: Smith Jillian E. , Liang Chen , Tseng Michael , Li Noel , Li Sha , Mowles Allisandra K. , Mehta Anil K. , Lynn David G.
Published: April 2015

Structurally defined cross‐β assemblies have allowed for the development of basis sets for isotope‐edited infrared spectra to follow progressive assembly over time. These basis sets, composed of a minimal number of individual spectra, are sufficient to identify the populations of polymorphs evolving throughout the assembly process. This approach provides, for the first time, the spectral assignment and relative distribution of paracrystalline intermediates formed from the intermolecular molten globule phase where nucleation occurs. Using the basis sets, we can now follow how subtle changes in assembly energetics impact the accessible polymorphs along the assembly pathway. Here, simple methylation of the Gln22 side chain of the nucleating core of the Dutch mutant of the Aβ of Alzheimer’s disease, Aβ(16‐22)E22Q, dramatically increases the distribution of sampled polymorphs and slows progression to the final thermodynamic assembly. These data establish that amyloid cross‐β structures can assemble through a dynamic conformational phylogeny. This fluid context‐dependent network, so accessible to simple peptides, may provide the basis for the conformational selection and evolution of the complex supramolecular assemblies implicated in the many protein misfolding and prion diseases.
TRPC1 regulates calcium‐activated chloride channels in salivary gland cells
Authors: Sun Yuyang , Birnbaumer Lutz , Singh Brij B.
Published: April 2015

Calcium‐activated chloride channel (CaCC) plays an important role in modulating epithelial secretion. It has been suggested that in salivary tissues, sustained fluid secretion is dependent on Ca2+ influx that activates ion channels such as CaCC to initiate Cl− efflux. However direct evidence as well as the molecular identity of the Ca2+ channel responsible for activating CaCC in salivary tissues is not yet identified. Here we provide evidence that in human salivary cells, an outward rectifying Cl− current was activated by increasing [Ca2+]i, which was inhibited by the addition of pharmacological agents niflumic acid (NFA), an antagonist of CaCC, or T16Ainh‐A01, a specific TMEM16a inhibitor. Addition of thapsigargin (Tg), that induces store‐depletion and activates TRPC1‐mediated Ca2+ entry, potentiated the Cl− current, which was inhibited by the addition of a non‐specific TRPC channel blocker SKF96365 or removal of external Ca2+. Stimulation with Tg also increased plasma membrane expression of TMEM16a protein, which was also dependent on Ca2+ entry. Importantly, in salivary cells, TRPC1 silencing, but not that of TRPC3, inhibited CaCC especially upon store depletion. Moreover, primary acinar cells isolated from submandibular gland also showed outward rectifying Cl− currents upon increasing [Ca2+]i. These Cl− currents were again potentiated with the addition of Tg, but inhibited in the presence of T16Ainh‐A01. Finally, acinar cells isolated from the submandibular glands of TRPC1 knockout mice showed significant inhibition of the outward Cl− currents without decreasing TMEM16a expression. Together the data suggests that Ca2+ entry via the TRPC1 channels is essential for the activation of CaCC. J. Cell. Physiol. 9999: 2848–2856, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluation of iron and zinc bioavailability of beans targeted for biofortification using in vitro and in vivo models and their effect on the nutritional status of preschool children
Authors: Vaz‐Tostes Maria das Graças , Verediano Thaisa Agrizzi , de Mejia Elvira Gonzalez , Brunoro Costa Neuza Maria
Published: April 2015

BACKGROUND

Biofortified beans have been produced with higher nutrient concentrations. The objective was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo iron and zinc bioavailability of common beans Pontal (PO), targeted for biofortification, compared with conventional Perola (PE) and their effects on the iron and zinc nutritional status of preschool children.

RESULTS

In Caco‐2 cells, PO and PE beans did not show differences in ferritin (PO, 13.1 ± 1.4; PE, 13.6 ± 1.4 ng mg−1 protein) or zinc uptake (PO, 15.9 ± 1.5; PE, 15.5 ± 3.5 µmol mg−1 protein). In the rat, PO and PE beans presented high iron bioavailability (PO, 109.6 ± 29.5; PE, 110.7 ± 13.9%). In preschool children, no changes were observed in iron and zinc nutritional status comparing before and after PO consumption (ferritin, 41.2 ± 23.2 and 28.9 ± 40.4 µg L−1; hemoglobin, 13.7 ± 2.2 and 13.1 ± 3.2 g dL−1; plasma zinc, 119.2 ± 24.5 and 133.9 ± 57.7 µg dL−1; erythrocyte zinc, 53.5 ± 13.8 and 59.4 ± 17.1 µg g−1 hemoglobin).

CONCLUSION

Iron and zinc bioavailability in PO and PE beans was not statistically different using either cell culture, animal or human models. Efforts should focus on increasing mineral bioavailability of beans targeted for biofortification. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Efficacy and safety of creatine supplementation in juvenile dermatomyositis: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled crossover trial
Authors: Solis Marina Yazigi , Hayashi Ana Paula , Artioli Guilherme Giannini , Roschel Hamilton , Sapienza Marcelo Tatit , Otaduy Maria Concepción , De Sã Pinto Ana Lucia , Silva Clovis Artur , Sallum Adriana Maluf Elias , Pereira Rosa Maria R. , Gualano Bruno
Published: April 2015

Introduction: It has been suggested that creatine supplementation is safe and effective for treating idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, but no pediatric study has been conducted to date. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of creatine supplementation in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) patients. Methods: In this study, JDM patients received placebo or creatine supplementation (0.1 g/kg/day) in a randomized, crossover, double‐blind design. Subjects were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. The primary outcome was muscle function. Secondary outcomes included body composition, aerobic conditioning, health‐related quality of life, and muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) content. Safety was assessed by laboratory parameters and kidney function measurements. Results: Creatine supplementation did not affect muscle function, intramuscular PCr content, or any other secondary outcome. Kidney function was not affected, and no side effects were reported. Conclusions: Twelve weeks of creatine supplementation in JDM patients were well‐tolerated and free of adverse effects, but treatment did not affect muscle function, intramuscular PCr, or any other parameter. Muscle Nerve 53: 58–66, 2016
Toward an objective measure of functional disability in dysferlinopathy
Authors: Woudt Lisanne , Di Capua Gabriella A. , Krahn Martin , Castiglioni Claudia , Hughes Ricardo , Campero Mario , Trangulao Alejandra , González‐Hormazábal Patricio , Godoy‐Herrera Raúl , Lévy Nicolas , Urtizberea Jon Andoni , Jara Lilian , Bevilacqua Jorge A.
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Understanding the natural history of dysferlinopathy is essential to design and quantify novel therapeutic protocols. Our aim in this study was to assess, clinically and functionally, a cohort of patients with dysferlinopathy, using validated scales.

Methods

Thirty‐one patients with genetically confirmed dysferlinopathy were assessed using the motor function measure (MFM), Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), Muscle Research Council (MRC) scale, serum creatine kinase (CK) assessment, baseline spirometry data, and echocardiographic and electrophysiologic studies.

Results

MFM and MRC scores showed a significant negative correlation with disease duration and inverse correlation with MRS, but not with onset age, clinical phenotype, or CK levels. Percent forced vital capacity (%FVC) correlated negatively with disease duration and onset age. Eight known pathogenic mutations were identified recurrently, 4 of which accounted for 79% of the total.

Conclusions

The results suggest that MFM is a reliable outcome measure that may be useful for longitudinal follow‐up in dysferlinopathy. Recurrent mutations suggest a founder effect in the Chilean population. Muscle Nerve 53: 49–57, 2016
Fine structural analysis, formation of interfacial particle films, and accurate estimation of orientation in polyguanamine derivatives with a high refractive index
Authors: Fujimori Atsuhiro , Miura Shuntaro , Kikkawa Takahiro , Shibasaki Yuji
Published: April 2015

Precise analyses of the molecular arrangement of three‐dimensional crystals, two‐dimensional molecular films, and interfacial particle layers of polyguanamine derivatives with a high refractive index have been performed. The high refractive index of the polyguanamine derivatives is not due to the chemical structure of the molecule, but is based on the packing of molecular chains or the refraction of transmitted light due to the difference in electron density between the crystalline and amorphous regions. A highly crystalline polymer has been produced by polycondensation of guanamine derivatives bearing a triazine ring and phenyl rings. The packing models of molecular chains in the three‐dimensional crystal have been determined using wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction measurements and reciprocal lattice analysis. Highly hydrophobic polyguanamine derivatives undergo a transition from monolayer to single particle layer at the air/water interface. The π‐conjugated molecular plane in the two‐dimensional films is densely stacked. Multiparticle layers are formed with a highly ordered layered structure. Polymer nanoparticles are formed by the integration of units of the collapsed polymer monolayer folded along the height direction. Since this folding occurs within the amorphous region, formation of fine particles with a high refractive index and their integrated films with densely packed π‐conjugated planes is feasible. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 999–1009
Optical properties and electronic energy‐band structure of Cu2ZnSnS4
Authors: Ozaki Shunji , Hoshina Keiji , Usami Yuji
Published: April 2015

Optical properties of the quaternary Cu2ZnSnS4 semiconductor have been studied by optical absorption, photoluminescence, photoreflectance, and thermoreflectance measurements. Optical absorption measurements suggest that Cu2ZnSnS4 is a direct‐gap semiconductor having the band gap of ∼1.46 eV at 11 K. The photoreflectance and thermoreflectance spectra reveal distinct structures at energies of the critical points in the Brillouin zone. By performing the band‐structure calculation, these critical points are successfully assigned to specific points in the Brillouin zone. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
RF magnetron sputtering deposition of amorphous Zn–Sn–O thin films as a buffer layer for CIS solar cells
Authors: Chang Shao‐Wei , Ishikawa Kaoru , Sugiyama Mutsumi
Published: April 2015

Amorphous Zn–Sn–O (α‐ZTO) layers were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering to provide an alternative n‐type buffer layer for CuInSe2 solar cells. Electrical properties, such as the carrier density, mobility, and resistivity were adjusted by controlling the Sn/(Sn+Zn) ratio of the α‐ZTO layer and by regulating the oxygen partial pressure during sputtering. Valence band discontinuities of α‐ZTO/CuInSe2 were determined using photoelectron yield spectroscopy. The band discontinuity at the interface has “spikes” in the conduction band offset. Further, the short circuit current of a CIGS solar cell that uses an α‐ZTO layer was marginally higher compared to one that used a CdS layer. These results represent a step toward developing a safer, cheaper solar cell with higher performance by using an α‐ZTO film instead of a traditional CdS film. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Improvement of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cell efficiency by surface treatment
Authors: Furuta Kento , Sakai Noriyuki , Kato Takuya , Sugimoto Hiroki , Kurokawa Yasuyoshi , Yamada Akira
Published: April 2015

Surface treatments for the purpose of contamination elimination and surface passivation were performed to as‐deposited CZTSSe thin films before CdS buffer layer deposition. It was found that HCl etching treatment removes contaminations such as sulfide and oxide on CZTSSe surface and helps enhancement of thiourea treatment carried out after HCl etching. Thiourea treatment drastically improves solar cell characteristics, especially FF and JSC, and it would have the effect of surface passivation, although surface sulfuration does not occur. The improvement of characteristics seems to be due to improvement of the film quality and increase in the width of a depletion layer. As a result, conversion efficiency of CZTSSe solar cells was improved from 6.3% to 10.3% with sequential treatment of HCl etching and thiourea treatment. 10.5% was achieved by air anneal after fabrication with both treatments.
Fourier series of atomic radial distribution functions: A molecular fingerprint for machine learning models of quantum chemical properties
Authors: von Lilienfeld O. Anatole , Ramakrishnan Raghunathan , Rupp Matthias , Knoll Aaron
Published: April 2015

We introduce a fingerprint representation of molecules based on a Fourier series of atomic radial distribution functions. This fingerprint is unique (except for chirality), continuous, and differentiable with respect to atomic coordinates and nuclear charges. It is invariant with respect to translation, rotation, and nuclear permutation, and requires no preconceived knowledge about chemical bonding, topology, or electronic orbitals. As such, it meets many important criteria for a good molecular representation, suggesting its usefulness for machine learning models of molecular properties trained across chemical compound space. To assess the performance of this new descriptor, we have trained machine learning models of molecular enthalpies of atomization for training sets with up to 10 k organic molecules, drawn at random from a published set of 134 k organic molecules with an average atomization enthalpy of over 1770 kcal/mol. We validate the descriptor on all remaining molecules of the 134 k set. For a training set of 10 k molecules, the fingerprint descriptor achieves a mean absolute error of 8.0 kcal/mol. This is slightly worse than the performance attained using the Coulomb matrix, another popular alternative, reaching 6.2 kcal/mol for the same training and test sets. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Organic fluorines as halogen bond donors: Theoretical study and crystallographic evidence
Authors: Wang Yanhua , Tong Jianying , Wu Weihong , Xu Zhijian , Lu Yunxiang
Published: April 2015

Organic fluorines usually cannot act as halogen bond donors, as a result of the extreme electronegativity and least polarizability of the fluorine atom. However, when the electronegative ability of the substituents bound to the carbon atom is very strong, organic fluorines do show positive electrostatic potentials (ESPs) along the CF bond and thus can form halogen bonds with electron donors. In this work, the effects of six different substituents, i.e., NO2, CF3, CN, COOH, CHO, and CCH, on the ESPs of the F atom were studied using the M06‐2x method. When two or three substituents with very strong electron‐withdrawing ability, such as NO2 and CN, are linked to the C atom, positive ESPs take place on the outermost portion of the F atom. However, the ESPs remain negative along the CF bond with the introduction of relatively weak electron‐withdrawing substituents, irrespective of the number of the subsituents. In addition, some complexes between fluorinated molecules with positive ESPs on the F atom and NH3 were calculated, to characterize the structural and energetic features of these specific halogen bonds. Finally, some crystal structures extracted from the Cambridge Structural Database were selected to provide experimental evidence of these interactions involving the CF bond. The results presented in this work are very important for the modern definition of halogen bonding as well as for the development of pharmaceuticals and a wide range of functional material. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Audience Measurement Through Digital Communications and Advanced Technologies
Authors: Deo Shekhar
Published: April 2015

Since the beginning of modern advertising, marketing professionals have attempted to measure audience satisfaction to justify budget dollars and prove value. The old methods were costly.
Moving the media goalposts
Authors: Bowman Jo
Published: April 2015

The business of advertising has become more about sharing with consumers and less about shouting at or seducing them. But Jo Bowman finds that sure‐fire media plans‒and ideal measures of success‒remain as elusive as ever.
Time For a Home‐And‐Body Privacy Policy
Authors: van Arman Tom
Published: April 2015

The challenge facing the internet of things and personal data
Combined PCSK9 and APOE Polymorphisms are Genetic Risk Factors Associated with Elevated Plasma Lipid Levels in a Thai Population
Authors: Jeenduang Nutjaree , Porntadavity Sureerut , Wanmasae Smith
Published: April 2015

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) play a key role in the regulation of lipid metabolism. We aimed to investigate the effects of PCSK9 (R46L, I474V, and E670G) and APOE polymorphisms on lipid levels in a Southern Thai population. A total of 495 participants (307 urban, 188 rural) were recruited for the study. Anthropometric and biochemical variables were evaluated. PCSK9 and APOE polymorphisms were analyzed using PCR–RFLP. The 46L urban male carriers had significantly higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and fasting blood sugar compared with non‐carriers. In contrast, the 46L urban female carriers had significantly lower total cholesterol (TC) and LDL‐C levels compared with non‐carriers. The 474V rural female carriers had significantly lower HDL‐C levels than non‐carriers. The 670G urban female carriers showed significantly higher TC and LDL‐C levels compared with non‐carriers. APOE4 carriers had increased TC and LDL‐C levels relative to APOE3 carriers in the urban males. APOE2 carriers had decreased TC and/or LDL‐C levels compared with APOE3 carriers in urban males and females. A significant trend of increased TC and LDL‐C levels was observed in non‐APOE4‐PCSK9 670EE carriers to APOE4‐PCSK9 670EG carriers in urban subjects. In summary, R46L, I474V, and E670G may be genetic risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in urban males, rural females, and urban females, respectively. In contrast, R46L had a favorable lipid profiles that may protect against CVD in urban females. The combination of PCSK9 E670G and APOE polymorphisms may represent an independent factor for the determination of lipid levels.
Comprehensive Two‐Dimensional Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Different Types of Vegetable Oils
Authors: Vyviurska Olga , Jánošková Nikoleta , Jakubík Tibor , Špánik Ivan
Published: April 2015

Comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC‐TOFMS) was applied for detailed characterization of fatty acid profile of 8 vegetable oils. Due to enhanced selectivity and sensitivity characteristics, the GC×GC method yielded more reliable quantification results compared to one dimensional gas chromatography, especially for medium‐chain fatty acids and odd‐carbon number fatty acids, which are present only at trace level. All problematic positional counterparts of unsaturated fatty acids (e.g. C21:0–C20:3 ω6, C20:3ω3–C20:4 ω6 and C20:5 ω3–C22:0), which commonly coeluted in the case of 1D gas chromatography, were baseline resolved. The specific compounds were found for particular vegetable oils, such as γ‐linolenic acid for hempseed oil, heneicosylic acid and tricosylic acid for olive pomace oil, and nervonic acid for mustard oil.
Wholesome milk and strong meat: Peter Canisius’s catechisms and the conversion of Protestant Britain
Authors: Walsham Alexandra
Published: April 2015

This article examines the vernacular translations of the famous catechisms prepared by the Dutch Jesuit Peter Canisius which circulated in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Britain. The various editions and adaptations of Canisius produced for English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish readers are texts in which anti-Protestant identity formation converges with the task of basic indoctrination. These include Laurence Vaux’s popular catechism of 1567, the traditionalist character of which is reassessed. Shedding light on the reception and domestication of the literature of the European Counter Reformation, these books illustrate how catechesis was revived and harnessed as a clerical tool for cultivating polemical resistance and as a device for inculcating saving knowledge and redeeming piety in those young in faith as well as in years. Recusant clergy, seminary priests and Jesuits tackled the task of restoring England to its traditional allegiance to Rome as if they were planting the faith in a pagan land and they utilised the same techniques and strategies as their colleagues in the newly discovered world. A study of Canisius’s catechisms highlights the fluid boundary between conversion and reconciliation in contemporary minds; illuminates the intertwining of the histories of evangelical mission and confessionalisation in the context of the British Isles; and helps to reintegrate minority Catholic communities back into our picture of the global movement for religious outreach and renewal.
The Practice and Culture of Accounting in Renaissance Florence
Authors: GOLDTHWAITE RICHARD
Published: April 2015

This article explores cultural aspects of the unique archival patrimony of private account books that survive for Florence from the fourteenth to the early seventeenth century, a period corresponding to the city’s greatness as a center of both Renaissance culture and early capitalism. The discussion first surveys the diffusion and the standardization of accounting practice throughout the society, the educational process behind this development, and the emergence of the professional accountant. It then analyzes double entry in its application to both business (including industrial) and domestic accounts in the attempt to extend our knowledge of the accounting reality in this pre-modern capitalist economy beyond the traditional view derived from manuals and theoretical notions. The conclusion examines the cultural functions of Florentine accounting practice ranging from the so-called spirit of capitalism in the business world to some particular characteristics that disposed Florentines in general toward this kind of record keeping.
Hegel’s modal argument against Spinozism. An interpretation of the chapter ‘Actuality’ in theScience of Logic
Authors: Knappik Franz
Published: April 2015

I propose a new reading of Hegel’s discussion of modality in the ‘Actuality’ chapter of theScience of Logic. On this reading, the main purpose of the chapter is a critical engagement with Spinoza’s modal metaphysics. Hegel first reconstructs a rationalist line of thought — corresponding to the cosmological argument for the existence of God — that ultimately leads to Spinozist necessitarianism. He then presents a reductio argument against necessitarianism, contending that as a consequence of necessitarianism, no adequate explanatory accounts of facts about finite reality can be given.
There Is No Single Way to Fix Performance Management: What Works Well for One Company Can Fail Miserably in Another
Authors: Hunt Steven T.
Published: April 2015

Since 2007, my work has involved helping companies to maximize the value of a technology system that supports strategic human resource processes, including performance management (PM). This technology is largely agnostic when it comes to PM process design. It can be configured for PM processes that make extensive ratings or avoid ratings entirely, encourage elaborate goal cascading or completely forego the use of goals, focus on once a year PM events or encourage ongoing employee–manager check-ins, and so forth. In sum, the system can be configured in any number of ways.