bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
12-Year Associations of Health with Personality in the Second Half of Life
Authors: Wettstein Markus , Tauber Benjamin , Wahl Hans-Werner , Frankenberg Claudia
Published: March 2017

Abstract. We examined longitudinal associations between personality, objective (physician-rated) and self-rated health over 12 years in two German cohorts (midlife cohort, born 1950/52, nT0 = 502; late-life cohort, born 1930/32, nT0 = 500) from the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development (ILSE). Based on cross-lagged panel design analyses controlling for sex, education, depression, and cognitive abilities, we found that after 12 years better baseline objective health predicted lower Neuroticism and higher Agreeableness, whereas baseline Extraversion and Conscientiousness were positive predictors of later self-rated health. Our findings thus illustrate that the direction of longitudinal personality-health associations is dependent on whether objective or self-rated health is considered, whereas relations do not seem to be considerably different in midlife vs. in old age.
Policy Experts Debate Trump Energy Plan
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: March 2017

Lauded by free-market proponents at a policy forum, the White House plan sparked disagreements among panelists about climate implications, the potential for a coal comeback, and carbon taxes.
The yielding transition in amorphous solids under oscillatory shear deformation
Authors: Leishangthem Premkumar , Parmar Anshul D. S. , Sastry Srikanth
Published: March 2017

Amorphous solids are ubiquitous among natural and man-made materials. Often used as structural materials for their attractive mechanical properties, their utility depends critically on their response to applied stresses. Processes underlying such mechanical response, and in particular the yielding behaviour of amorphous solids, are not satisfactorily understood. Although studied extensively, observed yielding behaviour can be gradual and depend significantly on conditions of study, making it difficult to convincingly validate existing theoretical descriptions of a sharp yielding transition. Here we employ oscillatory deformation as a reliable probe of the yielding transition. Through extensive computer simulations for a wide range of system sizes, we demonstrate that cyclically deformed model glasses exhibit a sharply defined yielding transition with characteristics that are independent of preparation history. In contrast to prevailing expectations, the statistics of avalanches reveals no signature of the impending transition, but exhibit dramatic, qualitative, changes in character across the transition.
Clonal selection in the human Vδ1 T cell repertoire indicates γδ TCR-dependent adaptive immune surveillance
Authors: Davey Martin S. , Willcox Carrie R. , Joyce Stephen P. , Ladell Kristin , Kasatskaya Sofya A. , McLaren James E. , Hunter Stuart , Salim Mahboob , Mohammed Fiyaz , Price David A. , Chudakov Dmitriy M. , Willcox Benjamin E.
Published: March 2017

γδ T cells are considered to be innate-like lymphocytes that respond rapidly to stress without clonal selection and differentiation. Here we use next-generation sequencing to probe how this paradigm relates to human Vδ2negT cells, implicated in responses to viral infection and cancer. The prevalent Vδ1 T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is private and initially unfocused in cord blood, typically becoming strongly focused on a few high-frequency clonotypes by adulthood. Clonal expansions have differentiated from a naive to effector phenotype associated with CD27 downregulation, retaining proliferative capacity and TCR sensitivity, displaying increased cytotoxic markers and altered homing capabilities, and remaining relatively stable over time. Contrastingly, Vδ2+T cells express semi-invariant TCRs, which are present at birth and shared between individuals. Human Vδ1+T cells have therefore evolved a distinct biology from the Vδ2+subset, involving a central, personalized role for the γδ TCR in directing a highly adaptive yet unconventional form of immune surveillance.
CFTR is involved in the regulation of glucagon secretion in human and rodent alpha cells
Authors: Edlund Anna , Pedersen Morten Gram , Lindqvist Andreas , Wierup Nils , Flodström-Tullberg Malin , Eliasson Lena
Published: March 2017

Glucagon is the main counterregulatory hormone in the body. Still, the mechanism involved in the regulation of glucagon secretion from pancreatic alpha cells remains elusive. Dysregulated glucagon secretion is common in patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) that develop CF related diabetes (CFRD). CF is caused by a mutation in the Cl− channel Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), but whether CFTR is present in human alpha cells and regulate glucagon secretion has not been investigated in detail. Here, both human and mouse alpha cells showed CFTR protein expression, whereas CFTR was absent in somatostatin secreting delta cells. CFTR-current activity induced by cAMP was measured in single alpha cells. Glucagon secretion at different glucose levels and in the presence of forskolin was increased by CFTR-inhibition in human islets, whereas depolarization-induced glucagon secretion was unaffected. CFTR is suggested to mainly regulate the membrane potential through an intrinsic alpha cell effect, as supported by a mathematical model of alpha cell electrophysiology. In conclusion, CFTR channels are present in alpha cells and act as important negative regulators of cAMP-enhanced glucagon secretion through effects on alpha cell membrane potential. Our data support that loss-of-function mutations in CFTR contributes to dysregulated glucagon secretion in CFRD.
YidC and SecYEG form a heterotetrameric protein translocation channel
Authors: Sachelaru Ilie , Winter Lukas , Knyazev Denis G. , Zimmermann Mirjam , Vogt Andreas , Kuttner Roland , Ollinger Nicole , Siligan Christine , Pohl Peter , Koch Hans-Georg
Published: March 2017

The heterotrimeric SecYEG complex cooperates with YidC to facilitate membrane protein insertion by an unknown mechanism. Here we show that YidC contacts the interior of the SecY channel resulting in a ligand-activated and voltage-dependent complex with distinct ion channel characteristics. The SecYEG pore diameter decreases from 8 Å to only 5 Å for the YidC-SecYEG pore, indicating a reduction in channel cross-section by YidC intercalation. In the presence of a substrate, YidC relocates to the rim of the pore as indicated by increased pore diameter and loss of YidC crosslinks to the channel interior. Changing the surface charge of the pore by incorporating YidC into the channel wall increases the anion selectivity, and the accompanying change in wall hydrophobicity is liable to alter the partition of helices from the pore into the membrane. This could explain how the exit of transmembrane domains from the SecY channel is facilitated by YidC.
CSF-1 regulates the function of monocytes in Crohn’s disease patients in remission
Authors: Nieto Juan Camilo , Zamora Carlos , Cantó Elisabet , Garcia-Planella Esther , Gordillo Jordi , Ortiz Maria Angels , Juárez Cándido , Vidal Silvia
Published: March 2017

During the flare-ups of Crohn’s disease (CD) patients, circulating leukocytes actively migrate toward the inflamed sites. During the remission, the lack of symptoms does not necessarily imply immunological remission. To decipher inflammatory mechanisms still operating during CD remission, we compared the expression of chemokine receptors on monocytes from CD and healthy donors (HD), and how these differences could modulate monocyte maturation and cytokine production. Flow cytometry analysis showed a higher expression of CCR5 on monocytes from CD patients than those from HD after 24 h. This CCR5 upregulation was associated with the spontaneous production of CSF-1 and IL-10. The higher expression of CCR5 on CD monocytes increased their migratory pattern in response to CCL5. Signaling through CCR5/CCL5 increased CD163 and HLA-DR expression and diminished TLR4-induced TNF-α and IL-6 secretion during monocyte differentiation. When we analyzed clinical parameters, patients treated with azathioprine had the highest CSF-1 levels and CCR5 expression. Our results suggest that monocytes from CD patients in remission produced high levels of CSF-1 that upregulate CCR5 expression. Consequently, monocytes differentiated in these conditions had a characteristic phenotype and lower production of inflammatory cytokines. The treatment with azathioprine could be responsible for this anti-inflammatory profile of monocytes.
Quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI of glioma using Image Downsampling Expedited Adaptive Least-squares (IDEAL) fitting
Authors: Zhou Iris Yuwen , Wang Enfeng , Cheung Jerry S. , Zhang Xiaoan , Fulci Giulia , Sun Phillip Zhe
Published: March 2017

Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) MRI is sensitive to dilute metabolites with exchangeable protons, allowing tissue characterization in diseases such as acute stroke and tumor. CEST quantification using multi-pool Lorentzian fitting is challenging due to its strong dependence on image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), initial values and boundaries. Herein we proposed an Image Downsampling Expedited Adaptive Least-squares (IDEAL) fitting algorithm that quantifies CEST images based on initial values from multi-pool Lorentzian fitting of iteratively less downsampled images until the original resolution. The IDEAL fitting in phantom data with superimposed noise provided smaller coefficient of variation and higher contrast-to-noise ratio at a faster fitting speed compared to conventional fitting. We further applied the IDEAL fitting to quantify CEST MRI in rat gliomas and confirmed its advantage for in vivo CEST quantification. In addition to significant changes in amide proton transfer and semisolid macromolecular magnetization transfer effects, the IDEAL fitting revealed pronounced negative contrasts of tumors in the fitted CEST maps at 2 ppm and −1.6 ppm, likely arising from changes in creatine level and nuclear overhauser effects, which were not found using conventional method. It is anticipated that the proposed method can be generalized to quantify MRI data where SNR is suboptimal.
Female Breast Cancer Mortality Clusters in Shandong Province, China: A Spatial Analysis
Authors: Chu Jie , Zhou Chengchao , Guo Xiaolei , Sun Jiandong , Xue Fuzhong , Zhang Jiyu , Lu Zilong , Fu Zhentao , Xu Aiqiang
Published: March 2017

This study aimed to detect the spatial distribution and high-risk clusters of female breast cancer mortality for the years 2011 to 2013 in Shandong Province, China. The urban-rural difference in the spatial distribution and clusters of disease mortality were also examined. Breast cancer mortality data were obtained from the Shandong Death Registration System (SDRS) during 2011 to 2013 and were adjusted for the underreporting rate. The purely spatial scan Statistics method was performed using Discrete Poisson model. Seven significant spatial clusters for high mortality of female breast cancer were detected in Shandong Province at the county level; these clusters were mainly located in the eastern, southern, southwestern, central and northern regions. The spatial distributions differed significantly between urban and rural populations. Population ageing influenced the distribution of breast cancer clusters for the urban eastern residents. This study provided evidence for the presence of clusters of breast cancer mortality in Shandong, China and found urban-rural difference in the clusters, which is helpful for developing effective strategies to control breast cancer in different areas.
Effects of long-term magnesium supplementation on endothelial function and cardiometabolic risk markers: A randomized controlled trial in overweight/obese adults
Authors: Joris Peter J. , Plat Jogchum , Bakker Stephan J. L. , Mensink Ronald P.
Published: March 2017

Long-term magnesium supplementation improves arterial stiffness, a cardiovascular disease risk marker. Effects on endothelial function may be another mechanism whereby increased magnesium intakes affect cardiovascular risk. Therefore, a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to examine effects of magnesium supplementation on endothelial function and cardiometabolic risk markers. Fifty-two overweight and obese subjects (30 men and 22 women, age 62 ± 6 years) were randomized to receive either three times daily magnesium (total dose: 350 mg) or placebo capsules. Endothelial function was assessed at the start and at the end of the study. Cardiometabolic risk markers were measured at baseline, after 12 weeks, and at week 24. Brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation did not change following long-term magnesium supplementation (0.49 pp; 95% CI: −0.38 to 1.36 pp; P = 0.26). Changes in reactive hyperemia index, retinal microvascular caliber and plasma markers for microvascular endothelial function (sVCAM-1, sICAM-1 and sE-selectin) were also not different. In addition, no effects on serum lipids, plasma glucose, insulin sensitivity, and low-grade systemic inflammation were observed. In conclusion, a daily magnesium supplement of 350 mg for 24 weeks does not improve endothelial function and cardiometabolic risk markers in overweight and obese middle-aged and elderly adults.
Inhibitory effect of Zanthoxylum bungeanum essential oil (ZBEO) on Escherichia coli and intestinal dysfunction
Authors: Hong Lei , Jing Wu , Qing Wang , Anxiang Su , Mei Xue , Qin Liu , Qiuhui Hu
Published: March 2017

The inhibitory effects of Zanthoxylum bungeanum essential oil (ZBEO) on Escherichia coli (E. coli) in vitro and in vivo were investigated, as well as its function of improvement of intestinal health.
Natural phosphorus-doped honeycomb carbon materials as oxygen reduction catalysts derived from Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel
Authors: Zhao Lei
Published: March 2017

Facile phosphorus (P)-doped carbon materials based on Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel (PCR) were directly used in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
Cobalt nitride as an efficient cocatalyst on CdS nanorods for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production in water
Authors: Chen Huanlin , Jiang Daochuan , Sun Zijun , Irfan Rana Muhammad , Zhang Lei , Du Pingwu
Published: March 2017

Noble-metal-free cobalt nitride (Co3N) can be used as a novel cocatalyst on CdS nanorods for photocatalytic H2production in water under visible light irradiation.
Structural stability and electronic properties of an octagonal allotrope of two dimensional boron nitride
Authors: Takahashi Lauren , Takahashi Keisuke
Published: March 2017

An octagonal allotrope of two dimensional boron nitride is explored through first principles calculations.
Total synthesis of phenylpropanoid glycoside osmanthuside-B6 facilitated by double isomerisation of glucose–rhamnose orthoesters
Authors: Khong Duc Thinh , Judeh Zaher M. A.
Published: March 2017

Osmanthuside-B6 was synthesized in 22% overall yield. The synthesis involved a newly discovered glucose–rhamnose orthoester double isomerization process.
Releasing cation diffusion in self-limited nanocrystalline defective ceria thin films
Authors: Esposito V. , Ni D. W. , Sanna S. , Gualandris F. , Pryds N.
Published: March 2017

Acceptor-doped nanocrystalline cerium oxide thin films are mechanically constrained nano-domains, with film/substrate interfacial strain and chemical doping deadlock mass diffusion.
Distinct electron transfer from ferredoxin–thioredoxin reductase to multiple thioredoxin isoforms in chloroplasts
Authors: Yoshida Keisuke , Hisabori Toru
Published: March 2017

Thiol-based redox regulation is considered to support light-responsive control of various chloroplast functions. The redox cascade via ferredoxin–thioredoxin reductase (FTR)/thioredoxin (Trx) has been recognized as a key to transmitting reducing power; however, Arabidopsis thaliana genome sequencing has revealed that as many as five Trx subtypes encoded by a total of 10 nuclear genes are targeted to chloroplasts. Because each Trx isoform seems to have a distinct target selectivity, the electron distribution from FTR to multiple Trxs is thought to be the critical branch point for determining the consequence of chloroplast redox regulation. In the present study, we aimed to comprehensively characterize the kinetics of electron transfer from FTR to 10 Trx isoforms. We prepared the recombinant FTR protein from Arabidopsis in the heterodimeric form containing the Fe–S cluster. By reconstituting the FTR/Trx system in vitro, we showed that FTR prepared here was enzymatically active and suitable for uncovering biochemical features of chloroplast redox regulation. A series of redox state determinations using the thiol-modifying reagent, 4-acetamido-4′-maleimidylstilbene-2,2′-disulfonate, indicated that all chloroplast Trx isoforms are commonly reduced by FTR; however, significantly different efficiencies were evident. These differences were apparently correlated with the distinct midpoint redox potentials among Trxs. Even when the experiments were performed under conditions of hypothetical in vivo stoichiometry of FTR and Trxs, a similar trend in distinguishable electron transfers was observed. These data highlight an aspect of highly organized circuits in the chloroplast redox regulation network.
Practical Acoustics in Clinical Voice Assessment: A Praat Primer
Authors: Maryn Youri
Published: March 2017

Praat is a freely available software package for formatting and analyzing sound signals. It carries many features relevant to voice signals and it has the possibility to run customized scripts. Praat can therefore be employed for acoustic voice analysis for clinical, educational, and research purposes; however, under the condition that voice signals are sampled for sufficient recording quality. This text first addresses recording-related issues and subsequently describes how Praat can be operated to yield numerical and graphical information regarding, for example, fundamental frequency, sound level, spectrum, spectrogram, cepstrum, and cepstrogram.
Emission optimised control and speed limit for isolated intersections
Authors: Blokpoel Robbin , Hausberger Stefan , Krajzewicz Daniel
Published: March 2017

Stopping and accelerating at traffic lights is one of the main contributing factors to vehicular emissions in urban environments. The work in this study demonstrates a generic guideline for minimising CO2 emissions at traffic lights. This was done using an adaptive control, which uses a cost function for optimisation, rather than network‐specific control parameters. A new version of the emission model PHEMlight was used, which added of a fuel cut‐off mode during coasting and other improvements compared with the previous version. Using this model, it could be determined that the emission optimal ratio between delay time and stops for the cost function of an adaptive control should be 1:165 at 50 km/h. When the speed limit increases the ratio also increases with 1:296 for 70 km/h. However, it was also found that the optimal free flow travel speed was around 70 km/h. Therefore, with long distances between intersections and a low amount of average stops, the maximum speed should be higher than 50 km/h for emission optimality. Application of the ratio for 50 km/h to the adaptive control algorithm ImFlow resulted in a CO2 emission reduction of 6.3% compared with a vehicle actuated control.
Impact of rate of recurrent communication of sensor node on network lifetime in a wireless sensor network
Authors: Natarajan Hemavathi , Nagpal Shobhit Kumar , Selvaraj Sudha
Published: March 2017

Recent research works suggest cluster head reselection as a mechanism for network lifetime improvement. Cluster head reselection is either energy or time dependent. However, frequent cluster head reselection increases time overhead and energy consumption leading to reduction in network lifetime. Hence, an attempt is made to minimise the cluster head reselection frequency. The cluster head reselection is carried out whenever the energy of current cluster head falls below the threshold and this threshold corresponds to the minimum energy required for a node to survive. It is this selection of the threshold value that favours reduction in cluster head reselection frequency. Further, the cluster head reselection is based on energy drainage parameters such as the rate of recurrent communication of sensor node in addition to the residual energy of the node and distance of the node from the base station. To demonstrate the effect of rate of recurrent communication of sensor node on cluster head reselection, experiments are conducted both through simulation and hardware. Further, to study the effectiveness of the proposal, comparisons are made with other algorithms such as low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH)‐C, adaptive decentralised re‐clustering protocol and T‐LEACH. Reduced cluster head reselection frequency exhibits low energy consumption and time overhead with enhanced network lifetime.
Qualitätsmanagement: Ein Gewinn für alle
Authors: van Loo Michael , Pantelmann Nicole
Published: March 2017

Das Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) hat als erste Universitätsklinik in Deutschland eine DIN ISO-zertifizierte Personalabteilung. Im Rahmen eines Qualitätsmanagementprojekts evaluierte und standardisierte das Haus die Prozesse in der Personalsparte. Davon profitiert nun die gesamte Uniklinik.
BuFaTa 2017: In Hochform
Authors: Thalmayr Maria
Published: March 2017

„Die 20 Zentimeter zwischen den Ohren machen den Unterschied in der Zukunft aus“, behauptet der Mental- und Gedächtnistrainer Markus Hofmann. Als Keynote-Speaker wird er den Teilnehmern der diesjährigen Bundesfachtagung (BuFaTa) der Fachvereinigung Krankenhaustechnik am 28. und 29. Juni zu geistigen Spitzenleistungen verhelfen.
FKT-Geschäftsstelle: Alles aus einer Hand
Authors: Thalmayr Maria
Published: March 2017

Dagmar Shenouda, Natascha Di Molfetta und Alexander Steinmetz sind Ihre Ansprechpartner in der neuen FKT-Geschäftsstelle in Weilerswist. Sie wollen Ihnen künftig „das entscheidende Quäntchen mehr an Dienstleistung bieten.“
Führungskräfteentwicklung: Plädoyer für Mentoring-Programme
Authors: Napp Barbara
Published: March 2017

Sieht man sich in der kma die Stellungswechsel an, ist man überrascht, wie jung, die Führungskräfte von heute sind. Zum Teil haben sie sich im Unternehmen weiterentwickelt, oder unternehmenseigene Trainee-Programme absolviert. Sie durchlaufen verschiedene Abteilungen und Einrichtungen des Konzerns, bevor sie in ihre erste Führungsposition rücken. In anderen Unternehmen werden die jungen Fachkräfte gezielt intern und extern weitergebildet, um verantwortliche Positionen zu bekleiden.
Opportunities to Foster Efficient Communication in Labor and Delivery Using Simulation
Authors: Daniels Kay , Hamilton Colleen , Crowe Susan , Lipman Steven , Halamek Louis , Lee Henry
Published: March 2017

Introduction Communication errors are an important contributing factor in adverse outcomes in labor and delivery (L&D) units. The objective of this study was to identify common lapses in verbal communication using simulated obstetrical scenarios and propose alternative formats for communication.

Methods Health care professionals in L&D participated in three simulated clinical scenarios. Scenarios were recorded and reviewed to identify questions repeated within and across scenarios. Questions that were repeated more than once due to ineffective communication were identified. The frequency with which the questions were asked across simulations was identified.

Results Questions were commonly repeated both within and across 27 simulated scenarios. The median number of questions asked was 27 per simulated scenario. Commonly repeated questions focused on three general topics: (1) historical data/information (i.e., estimated gestational age), (2) maternal clinical status (i.e., estimated blood loss), and (3) personnel (i.e., “Has anesthesiologist been called?”).

Conclusion Inefficient verbal communication exists in the process of transferring information during obstetric emergencies. These findings can inform improved training and development of information displays to improve teamwork and communication. A visual display that can report static historical information and specific dynamic clinical data may facilitate optimal human performance.
Can a trusting relationship between DOE and its labs be restored?
Authors: Kramer David
Published: March 2017

Experiments to scale back micromanagement are under way at two national laboratories. Other lab contractors also report measured improvements.
Factors explaining the incidence of breech strike in a Mediterranean environment in unmulesed and uncrutched Merino sheep
Authors: Greeff J. C. , Karlsson L. J. E. , Schlink A. C. , Gilmour A. R.
Published: March 2017

Factors responsible for an increase in breech strike were investigated in an unmulesed Merino flock in a Mediterranean environment that were not crutched in 4 years but were crutched in the subsequent 2 years. No chemical preventative treatments such as dipping or jetting were applied in order to assess the susceptibility of the different progeny groups. The number of breech strikes for each animal was recorded from birth to hogget shearing at 17 months of age. Production traits were measured and a large number of visual wool and body conformational traits were subjectively scored to determine whether they contribute to variation in breech strike. Large differences (P < 0.01) in the incidence of breech strike were found between years. A significant interaction (P < 0.05) was found between year of birth and sex for breech strike to weaning, as rams had a higher strike rate than ewes in 1 year only. Across years ewes generally had a higher strike rate than rams. No consistent pattern in potential indicator traits could be found across years, as many traits each explain a small proportion of the variation in breech strike. Dags and skin wrinkle in the tail and breech area contributed most to the variation in breech strike. In uncrutched sheep, dags scored at yearling age for rams, and before hogget shearing for ewes, explained 16% and 10% of the variation in breech strike, respectively, whereas tail wrinkle scored post-weaner shearing explained 21% of the variation in breech strike in both ewes and rams. In sheep that were crutched at yearling age, about 4 months before the normal fly season, tail wrinkle was the most important indicator trait of breech strike in rams, whereas dags at yearling and dags before hogget shearing were the most important indicator traits in ewes. This research confirms that dags and wrinkles are major predisposing factors to breech strike in a Mediterranean environment and that sheep with higher dag and wrinkle scores were consistently more likely to be struck. A large proportion of variation in the incidence of breech strike remains unexplained in uncrutched and unmulesed sheep.
Seasonal diet selection by ewes grazing within contrasting grazing systems
Authors: Cox Felicity , Badgery Warwick B. , Kemp David R. , Krebs Gaye
Published: March 2017

Grazing management systems seek to control the relationship among animals, plants and soil by regulating the number of animals and the duration and location of animals. A greater understanding of the diet selection and activity of livestock within grazing systems will assist producers to make informed management decisions about their management within complex pastures. In the present paper, differences in the diet quality, selection and activity of ewes managed within contrasting systems (continuous-grazing (CG) and an intensive (20-paddock) rotational-grazing (RG) system) within a native pasture in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, using non-invasive methodologies, are described. During two time periods (late spring and early autumn), the animals grazing within the CG system consumed a diet of higher quality and spent less time active than did those within the RG system. These differences resulted in higher individual animal production of CG animals that were able to maintain the herbage of preferred areas in a vegetative and highly nutritious state. The grazing animals selected the green herbage of higher quality than the average pasture and adjusted their selection seasonally. An underlying mechanism driving selection is the green : dead ratio of the herbage. Practically the results indicated that the green : dead ratio (or greenness) of herbage may provide a management trigger to enhance the production of animals grazing within a RG system, in particular during periods of higher requirement.
Extended maternal care and offspring interactions in the subsocial Australian crab spider, Xysticus bimaculatus
Authors: Dumke Marlis
Published: February 2017

Extended maternal care is considered a prerequisite for the evolution of permanent family grouping and eusociality in invertebrates. In spiders, the essential evolutionary transitions to permanent sociality along this ‘subsocial route’ include the extension of care beyond hatching, the persistence of offspring groups to maturation and the elimination of premating dispersal. Subsocial Australian crab spiders (Thomisidae) present a suitable system to identify the selective agents prolonging group cohesion. Particularly, the recent discovery of independently evolved subsociality in the thomisid Xysticus bimaculatus provides new potential for comparative studies to expand the limited understanding of group cohesion beyond the offspring’s potential independence and despite socially exploitative behaviour. Providing fundamental knowledge, the present study investigated maternal care and offspring interactions in X. bimaculatus for the first time. Nest dissections revealed that mothers produce exceptionally small clutches, potentially reflecting a limit in the number of juveniles they can successfully care for. A laboratory experiment demonstrated crucial benefits for offspring in receiving maternal care beyond nutritional independence, mediated by extensive maternal food provisioning. However, prey-sharing also occurred between juveniles irrespective of maternal presence, which marks this species’ predisposition for exploitative feeding behaviour. I therefore suggest X. bimaculatus as a suitable model for investigating the regulation of communal feeding in group-living spiders.
The effect of physical contact on changes in fatigue markers following rugby union field‐based training
Authors: Roe Gregory , Darrall‐Jones Joshua , Till Kevin , Phibbs Padraic , Read Dale , Weakley Jonathon , Rock Andrew , Jones Ben
Published: February 2017

Repeated physical contact in rugby union is thought to contribute to post‐match fatigue; however, no evidence exists on the effect of contact activity during field‐based training on fatigue responses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of contact during training on fatigue markers in rugby union players. Twenty academy rugby union players participated in the cross‐over study. The magnitude of change in upper‐ and lower‐body neuromuscular function (NMF), whole blood creatine kinase concentration [CK] and perception of well‐being was assessed pre‐training (baseline), immediately and 24 h post‐training following contact and non‐contact, field‐based training. Training load was measured using mean heart rate, session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) and microtechnology (Catapult Optimeye S5). The inclusion of contact during field‐based training almost certainly increased mean heart rate (9.7; ±3.9%) and sRPE (42; ±29.2%) and resulted in likely and very likely greater decreases in upper‐body NMF (−7.3; ±4.7% versus 2.7; ±5.9%) and perception of well‐being (−8.0; ±4.8% versus  −3.4; ±2.2%) 24 h post‐training, respectively, and almost certainly greater elevations in [CK] (88.2; ±40.7% versus 3.7; ±8%). The exclusion of contact from field‐based training almost certainly increased running intensity (19.8; ±5%) and distance (27.5; ±5.3%), resulting in possibly greater decreases in lower‐body NMF (−5.6; ±5.2% versus 2.3; ±2.4%). Practitioners should be aware of the different demands and fatigue responses of contact and non‐contact, field‐based training and can use this information to appropriately schedule such training in the weekly microcycle.
Oncopression: gene expression compendium for cancer with matched normal tissues
Authors: Lee Jungsul , Choi Chulhee
Published: March 2017

Motivation

Expression profile of normal tissue is primary source to find genes showing aberrant expression pattern specific in matched cancer tissue, but sample number of normal control in public gene expression repositories is disproportionally small compared to cancer and scattered in several datasets.

Results

We built oncopression by integrating several datasets into one large dataset for comprehensive analysis about 25 types of human cancers including 20 640 cancer samples and 6801 normal control profiles. Expression profiles in cancers can be directly compared to normal tissue counterparts. Validity of the integration was tested using immunohistochemical staining results and principal component analysis. We have utilized the pre-release version of oncopression to identify cancer-specific genes in several studies.

Availability and Implementation

Free access at http://www.oncopression.com and all expression data are available for download at the site.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The effect of spatial dependence on hazard validation
Authors: Iervolino Iunio , Giorgio Massimiliano , Cito Pasquale
Published: March 2017

In countries where best-practice probabilistic hazard studies and seismic monitoring networks are available, there is increasing interest in direct validation of hazard maps. It usually means trying to quantitatively understand whether probabilities estimated via hazard analysis are consistent with observed frequencies of exceedance of ground motion intensity thresholds. Because the exceedance events of interest are typically rare with respect to the time span covered by data from seismic networks, a common approach underlying these studies is to pool observations from different sites. The main reason for this is to collect a sample large enough to convincingly perform a statistical analysis. However, this requires accounting for the dependence among the stochastic processes counting exceedances of ground motion intensity measures thresholds at different sites. Neglecting this dependence may lead to potentially fallacious conclusions about inadequateness of probabilistic seismic hazard. This study addresses this issue revisiting a hazard validation exercise for Italy, showing that accounting for this kind of spatial dependence can change the results of formal testing.
Staged Growing Rods With Preimplantation of Spinal Anchors for Complex Early Onset Scoliosis
Authors: Gomez Jaime A. , Grzywna Alexandra , Hanstein Regina , Emans John B. , Hresko M.Timothy , Hedequist Daniel , Karlin Lawrence I. , Glotzbecker Michael P.
Published: March 2017

Background:

Treatment of early onset scoliosis (EOS) with growing rods (GR) can be challenging in patients with significant deformity, hyperkyphosis, or poor bone quality, due to risks of neurological deficit and hardware pull-out. The objective of this study is to report a series of EOS patients managed with a 2-stage GR technique used to minimize these complications.

Methods:

Two-stage GR technique was performed in 8 patients at mean age of 5.4 (range, 3.4 to 7.9) years. At stage 1, proximal and distal anchors were implanted with local fusion. At stage 2, the distraction rods were inserted. There were at least 3 months between stages 1 and 2, and halo-gravity traction was used before stage 2 unless contraindicated. Demographic, clinical, and surgical data were retrospectively reviewed with mean 4.9 (range, 2.0 to 9.4) years of follow-up. Radiographic measurements including Cobb and kyphosis angles were evaluated before stage 1, after halo-gravity traction, after stage 2, and at last follow-up. Indications for staging, anchor healing time, and complications were collected and analyzed.

Results:

Indications for 2-stage surgery were poor bone quality in 5 patients and neurological changes during initial attempt at GR placement in 3 patients. The mean time between stage 1 and 2 was 23 (15 to 45) weeks. Patients have undergone mean 7 (3 to 16) lengthenings. Three patients have been converted to magnetically controlled GR. The major coronal Cobb angle improved from mean 81 degrees (range, 61 to 97) preoperatively to 40 degrees (24 to 50) after stage 2 and remained at 40 degrees (27 to 53) at last follow-up. Kyphosis remained controlled from 45 degrees (10 to 76) preoperatively to 38 degrees (9 to 61) after stage 2 to 41 degrees (17 to 65) at last follow-up. Complications included superficial wound problems (4 patients), broken rods (2 patients), proximal migration (2 patients), and implant prominence (1 patient). At minimum 2-year follow-up, no patients had lingering neurological complications or instrumentation-bone failure of the GR construct.

Conclusions:

Two-stage GR technique can effectively be utilized in EOS patients with poor bone quality or in the event of intraoperative neurological changes. Satisfactory deformity correction can be obtained and routine serial lengthenings can take place with minimal complications.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV— case series.
The role of transoral robotic surgery in the management of oropharyngeal cancer
Authors: Dias Fernando L. , Walder Fernando , Leonhardt Fernando Danelon
Published: March 2017

Purpose of review

The rising incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), in large part as a result of the human papillomavirus (HPV), has driven a movement for the change in the management strategies. Renewed interest in minimally invasive approaches of endoscopic head and neck surgery led to introduction of transoral surgery, including transoral robotic surgery (TORS).

Recent findings

Several recent studies, based on large multi-institutional studies and systematic reviews of the literature, have shown excellent oncologic and functional outcomes with TORS for OPSCC. Also, a growing amount of clinical evidence supports the use of TORS in the management of carcinoma of unknown primary site and in selected patients with recurrent OPSCC with acceptable oncologic and better functional outcomes in comparison with traditional surgical approaches. Comparative studies with other therapeutic modalities (conventional surgical and nonsurgical) showed that TORS can be used to treat OPSCC, reducing morbidity and treatment costs, while providing equivalent oncologic results.

Large and robust data available in the literature supports the role of TORS within the multidisciplinary treatment paradigm for the management of OPSCC. Information from ongoing randomized clinical trials comparing TORS with and without dose-reduced radiotherapy or with and without intensified adjuvant treatment for high-risk OPSCC patients is necessary to determine the role of de-escalation of therapy in the era of HPV and OPSCC.
Different Glabellar Contraction Patterns in Chinese and Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin Type A for Treating Glabellar Lines: A Pilot Study
Authors: Jiang Haiyan , Zhou Jun , Chen Shujun
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

Published research studies have described the existence of 5 glabellar contraction patterns. Botulinum toxin A (BoNTA) has been an approved and effective treatment of glabellar lines.

OBJECTIVE

To study the pattern and frequency of glabellar contraction patterns in the Chinese population. To compare injection patterns and doses of BoNTA in Westerners within China.

METHODS

Four hundred fifty-six healthy volunteers were randomly recruited. Photographs both in static and in frown state were taken and classified based on the method of 5 glabellar line patterns. The severity of the glabellar lines both at repose and during forced contraction was assessed by the Facial Wrinkle Scale (FWS). Subsequently, 75 of them were treated with BoNTA.

RESULTS

The frequency of the various glabellar line patterns differs greatly between Chinese and Westerners with the “Converging arrows” pattern being the most common type and the “V” pattern being the least common when compared with the Westerners. Lower doses of BoNTA significantly improved the static and dynamic glabellar lines in the Chinese.

CONCLUSION

The classification of 5 glabellar patterns is compatible for the Chinese population despite different proportions. The dosage of BoNTA should be less than 20 U during treatment in China with lowered incidence of complications.
The Use of Descriptive Praise to Increase Diversity During Easel Painting
Authors: Lopez Kristina , Dewey Andrea , Barton Erin E. , Hemmeter Mary Louise
Published: March 2017

The purpose of this article was to describe 2 studies that examined the relation between descriptive praise and generalized diversity of forms and colors used during art activities in young children. Study I used a true reversal design to examine the relation between descriptive praise and diversity during art activities. All 4 children had small increases with descriptive praise, but there was considerable variability across children and conditions. In Study II, a multiple probe design was employed across 3 children to examine the relation between descriptive praise and diversity of forms and colors used in art activities. All 3 children used more diverse forms and colors with descriptive praise, although increases were small.
KSHV-associated and EBV-associated Germinotropic Lymphoproliferative Disorder
Authors: Bhavsar Tapan , Lee John C , Perner Yvonne , Raffeld Mark , Xi Liqiang , Pittaluga Stefania , Jaffe Elaine S.
Published: March 2017

We report 2 cases of Kaposi sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV)—and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) associated germinotropic lymphoproliferative disorder. Both cases arose in patients from regions endemic for KSHV, Cape Verde, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, presenting as localized lymphadenopathy. The affected lymph nodes showed colonization of the follicles by clusters of large atypical plasmablasts, but also showed regressive changes with vascular proliferation and interfollicular plasmacytosis, both reminiscent of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) positive multicentric Castleman disease. The atypical plasmablasts showed dual positivity for HHV-8 and EBV, being positive for LANA and viral interleukin 6, as well as Epstein–Barr virus-encoded small RNA by in situ hybridization. They showed a latency I phenotype, being negative for LMP1, EBNA2, and BZLF-1. The plasmablasts were negative for immunoglobulin light chains, and in 1 case with successful DNA amplification had a polyclonal immunoglobulin rearrangement pattern. Germinotropic lymphoproliferative disorder is a rare disorder, with only 6 cases reported in the literature. We demonstrate for the first time the expression of HHV-8 viral interleukin 6 and provide evidence for latency I phenotype for EBV. In addition, 1 case progressed to an EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, but interestingly was negative for KSHV/HHV-8, likely indicative of tumor derived from an independent clone.
Splenic Rupture and Liver Laceration in an Adolescent With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Neville Desiree Noel Wagner , Marin Jennifer R.
Published: March 2017

We report a case of a 16-year-old adolescent boy with autism who presented to the pediatric emergency department after falling from a standing position, with a relatively benign examination, who was found to have significant hemoperitoneum on the focused assessment with sonography in trauma examination.
MAGIC: A diffusion-based imputation method reveals gene-gene interactions in single-cell RNA-sequencing data
Authors: Dijk David van , Nainys Juozas , Sharma Roshan , Kaithail Pooja , Carr Ambrose J. , Moon Kevin R. , Mazutis Linas , Wolf Guy , Krishnaswamy Smita , Pe'er Dana
Published: February 2017

Single-cell RNA-sequencing is fast becoming a major technology that is revolutionizing biological discovery in fields such as development, immunology and cancer. The ability to simultaneously measure thousands of genes at single cell resolution allows, among other prospects, for the possibility of learning gene regulatory networks at large scales. However, scRNA-seq technologies suffer from many sources of significant technical noise, the most prominent of which is ‘dropout’ due to inefficient mRNA capture. This results in data that has a high degree of sparsity, with typically only ~10% non-zero values. To address this, we developedMAGIC (Markov Affinity-based Graph Imputation of Cells),a method for imputing missing values, and restoring the structure of the data. After MAGIC, we find that two- and three-dimensional gene interactions are restored and that MAGIC is able to impute complex and non-linear shapes of interactions. MAGIC also retains cluster structure, enhances cluster-specific gene interactions and restores trajectories, as demonstrated in mouse retinal bipolar cells, hematopoiesis, and our newly generated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition dataset.
Functional dissection of the Pol V large subunit CTD in RNA-directed DNA methylation
Authors: Wendte Jered M. , Haag Jeremy R. , Singh Jasleen , McKinlay Anastasia , Pontes Olga M. , Pikaard Craig S.
Published: February 2017

Plant multisubunit RNA Polymerase V transcription recruits Argonaute siRNA complexes that specify sites of RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) for gene silencing. Pol V's largest subunit, NRPE1, evolved from the largest subunit of Pol II but has a distinctive carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD). We show that the Pol V CTD is dispensable for catalytic activity in vitro, yet essential in vivo. One CTD subdomain (DeCL), is required for Pol V function at virtually all loci. other CTD subdomains have locusspecific effects. In a yeast two-hybrid screen, the 3'->5' exoribonuclease, RRP6L1 was identified as an interactor with the DeCL subdomain and DeCL and glutamine-serine-rich (QS) subdomains, located downstream from an Argonaute-binding repeat subdomain. Experimental evidence indicates that RRP6L1 trims the 3’ ends of Pol V transcripts sliced by ARGONAUTE 4 (AGO4), suggesting a model whereby the CTD enables the spatial and temporal coordination of AGO4 and RRP6L1 RNA processing activities.
Analyzing ecological networks of species interactions
Authors: Delmas Eva , Besson Mathilde , Brice Marie-Hélène , Burkle Laura A. , Dalla Riva Giulio V. , Fortin Marie-Josée , Gravel Dominique , Guimarães Paulo R , Hembry David , Newman Erica , Olesen Jens M. , Pires Mathias M. , Yeakel Justin D. , Poisot Timothée
Published: March 2017

Networks provide one of the best representations for ecological communities, composed of many species with sometimes complex connections between them. Yet the methodological literature allowing one to analyze and extract meaning from ecological networks is dense, fragmented, and unwelcoming. We provide a general overview to the field of using networks in community ecology, outlining both the intent of the different measures, their assumptions, and the contexts in which they can be used. When methodologically justified, we suggest good practices to use in the analysis of ecological networks. We anchor this synopsis with examples from empirical studies, and conclude by highlighting what identified as needed future developments in the field.