bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Degradation of (La0.8Sr0.2)0.98MnO3−δ–Zr0.84Y0.16O2−γ composite electrodes during reversing current operation
Authors: Hughes Gareth A. , Railsback Justin G. , Yakal-Kremski Kyle J. , Butts Danielle M. , Barnett Scott A.
Published: July 2015

Reversing-current operation of solid oxide cell (La0.8Sr0.2)0.98MnO3−δ–Zr0.84Y0.16O2−γ (LSM–YSZ) oxygen electrodes is described. Degradation was characterized by impedance spectroscopy in symmetric cells tested at 800 °C in air with a symmetric current cycle with a period of 12 hours. No change in cell resistance could be detected, in 1000 h tests with a sensitivity of ∼1% per kh, at a current density of 0.5 A cm−2 corresponding to an overpotential of 0.18 V. At a current density to 0.6 A cm−2 (0.33 V overpotential) measurable resistance degradation at a rate of 3% per kh was observed, while higher current/overpotential values led to faster degradation. Degradation was observed mainly in the ohmic resistance for current densities of 0.6, 0.8 and 0.9 A cm−2, with little change in the polarization resistance. Polarization degradation, mainly observed at higher current density, was present as an increase in an impedance response at ∼30 kHz, apparently associated with the resistance of YSZ grain boundaries within the electrode. Microstructural and chemical analysis showed significant changes in electrode structure after the current cycling, including an increase in LSM particle size and a reduction in the amount of YSZ and LSM at the electrode/electrolyte interface – the latter presumably a precursor to delamination.
Energy transfer and color tuning in the Ba9Sc2Si6O24:Ce3+,Eu2+,Mn2+ phosphor
Authors: Bian Liu , Liu Chun-Wei , Gao Jun , Jing Xi-Ping
Published: July 2015

A series of single phase Ba9−x−ySc2−zSi6O24:xCe,yEu,zMn phosphors was synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reactions.
Synthesis and properties of novel polyurethanes based on amino ethers of boric acid for gas separation membranes
Authors: Davletbaeva I. M. , Emelina O. Yu. , Vorotyntsev I. V. , Davletbaev R. S. , Grebennikova E. S. , Petukhov A. N. , Akhmetshina A. I. , Sazanova T. S. , Loskutov V. V.
Published: July 2015

Herein we present the structural and mechanical properties of polyurethanes synthesized from amino ethers of boric acid for gas separation.
Interaction potentials from arbitrary multi-particle trajectory data
Authors: Jenkins Ian C. , Crocker John C. , Sinno Talid
Published: July 2015

Robust and computationally efficient extraction of interparticle forces and potentials from non-equilibrium, multiparticle trajectories.
Multiple shape memory polymers based on laminates formed from thiol-click chemistry based polymerizations
Authors: Podgórski M. , Wang C. , Bowman C. N.
Published: July 2015

Polymer network trilayer laminates formed by thiol-Michael and thiol-isocyanate click chemistries, and their subsequent implementation and evaluation for quadruple shape memory (QSM) behavior is presented.
Cyclic polymers revealing topology effects upon self-assemblies, dynamics and responses
Authors: Yamamoto Takuya , Tezuka Yasuyuki
Published: July 2015

Unprecedented topology effects have been disclosed by new cyclic polymers upon their self-assemblies, dynamics and responses.
Artificial neural network‐based photovoltaic maximum power point tracking techniques: a survey
Authors: Elobaid Lina M. , Abdelsalam Ahmed K. , Zakzouk Ezeldin E.
Published: July 2015

Recent researches oriented to photovoltaic (PV) systems feature booming interest in current decade. For efficiency improvement, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of PV array output power is mandatory. Although classical MPPT techniques offer simplified structure and implementation, their performance is degraded when compared with artificial intelligence‐based techniques especially during partial shading and rapidly changing environmental conditions. Artificial neural network (ANN) algorithms feature several capabilities such as: (i) off‐line training, (ii) nonlinear mapping, (iii) high‐speed response, (iv) robust operation, (v) less computational effort and (vi) compact solution for multiple‐variable problems. Hence, ANN algorithms have been widely applied as PV MPPT techniques. Among various available ANN‐based PV MPPT techniques, very limited references gather those techniques as a survey. Neither classification nor comparisons between those competitors exist. Moreover, no detailed analysis of the system performance under those techniques has been previously discussed. This study presents a detailed survey for ANN based PV MPPT techniques. The authors propose new categorisation for ANN PV MPPT techniques based on controller structure and input variables. In addition, a detailed comparison between those techniques from several points of view, such as ANN structure, experimental verification and transient/steady‐state performance is presented. Recent references are taken into consideration for update purpose.
Taxonomic description and genome sequence of Rheinheimera mesophila sp. nov., isolated from an industrial waste site
Authors: Kumar Anand , Bajaj Abhay , Mathan Kumar Rajendran , Kaur Gurwinder , Kaur Navjot , Kumar Singh Nitin , Manickam Natesan , Mayilraj Shanmugam
Published: July 2015

A novel Gram-staining-negative gammaproteobacterium, designated IITR-13T, was isolated from a pesticide-contaminated soil and characterized using a polyphasic approach. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strain showed the closest similarity (98.7 %) to Rheinheimera tangshanensis JA3-B52T followed by Rheinheimera texasensis A62-14BT (97.7 %) and Rheinheimera soli BD-d46T (97.3 %). The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of the novel strain to other members of the genus Rheinheimera was < 97.3 %. However, DNA–DNA hybridization between strain IITR-13T and the type strains of R. tangshanensis, R. texasensis and R. soli was 47.5 ± 0.6, 42.4 ± 0.4 and 39.8 ± 0.3 %, respectively; these values are less than 70 %, a threshold value for delineation of a novel species. The strain had C12 : 0 3-OH, C16 : 0, C17 : 1ω8c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c/C16 : 1ω7c) and C18 : 1ω6c as the major fatty acids. The major isoprenoid quinones detected for strain IITR-13T were ubiquinone Q-8 and menaquinone MK-7.The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and seven unknown phospholipids. Based on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics and analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence, the novel strain should be assigned to a novel species, for which the name Rheinheimera mesophila sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain IITR-13T ( = MTCC 12064T = DSM 29723T). Also, we report the draft genome sequence of Rheinheimera mesophila IITR-13T; the draft genome sequence includes 3 749 903 bases and comprises 3449 predicted coding sequences, with a G+C content of 47.8 %. It consists of 102 contigs (>1000 bp).
Qipengyuania sediminis gen. nov., sp. nov., a member of the family Erythrobacteraceae isolated from subterrestrial sediment
Authors: Feng Xiao-Min , Mo Yong-Xin , Han Lu , Nogi Yuichi , Zhu You-Hai , Lv Jie
Published: July 2015

A Gram-reaction-negative, non-motile, facultatively aerobic bacterium, designated strain M1T, was isolated from a subterrestrial sediment sample of Qiangtang Basin in Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, China. The strain formed rough yellow colonies on R2A plates. Cells were oval or short rod-shaped, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate belonged to the family Erythrobacteraceae and showed 96.2–96.4 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to its closest relatives. Chemotaxonomic analysis revealed ubiquinone-10 (Q10) as the dominant respiratory quinone of strain M1T and C17 : 1ω6c (44.2 %) and C18 : 1ω7c (13.7 %) as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, sphingoglycolipid, three unidentified glycolipids, one unidentified phosphoglycolipid and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain M1T was 73.7 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic and genotypic data presented in this study, strain M1T represents a novel species of a new genus in the family Erythrobacteraceae, for which the name Qipengyuania sediminis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is M1T ( = CGMCC 1.12928T = JCM 30182T).
Bordetella bronchialis sp. nov., Bordetella flabilis sp. nov. and Bordetella sputigena sp. nov., isolated from human respiratory specimens, and reclassification of Achromobacter sediminum Zhang et al. 2014 as Verticia sediminum gen. nov., comb. nov.
Authors: Vandamme Peter A. , Peeters Charlotte , Cnockaert Margo , Inganäs Elisabeth , Falsen Enevold , Moore Edward R. B. , Nunes Olga C. , Manaia Célia M. , Spilker Theodore , LiPuma John J.
Published: July 2015

The phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of four Bordetella hinzii-like strains from human respiratory specimens and representing nrdA gene sequence based genogroups 3, 14 and 15 were examined. In a 16S rRNA gene sequence based phylogenetic tree, the four strains consistently formed a single coherent lineage but their assignment to the genus Bordetella was equivocal. The respiratory quinone, polar lipid and fatty acid profiles generally conformed to those of species of the genus Bordetella and were characterized by the presence of ubiquinone 8, of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and several aminolipids, and of high percentages of C16 : 0, cyclo-C17 : 0 and summed feature 2, as major chemotaxonomic marker molecules, respectively. The DNA G+C content was about 66 mol%, which corresponded with that of the high-percentage DNA G+C content genera of the family Alcaligenaceae including the genus Bordetella. DNA–DNA hybridization experiments revealed the presence of three distinct genomospecies and thus confirmed phenotypic differences as revealed by means of extensive biochemical characterization. We therefore propose to formally classify Bordetella genogroups 3, 14 and 15 as Bordetella bronchialis sp. nov. (type strain LMG 28640T = AU3182T = CCUG 56828T), Bordetella sputigena sp. nov. (type strain LMG 28641T = CCUG 56478T) and Bordetella flabilis sp. nov. (type strain LMG 28642T = AU10664T = CCUG 56827T). In addition, we propose to reclassify Achromobacter sediminum into the novel genus Verticia, as Verticia sediminum, gen. nov., comb. nov., on the basis of its unique phylogenetic position, its marine origin and its distinctive phenotypic, fatty acid and polar lipid profile.
Predicting X-ray diffuse scattering from translation–libration–screw structural ensembles
Authors: Van Benschoten Andrew H. , Afonine Pavel V. , Terwilliger Thomas C. , Wall Michael E. , Jackson Colin J. , Sauter Nicholas K. , Adams Paul D. , Urzhumtsev Alexandre , Fraser James S.
Published: July 2015

Identifying the intramolecular motions of proteins and nucleic acids is a major challenge in macromolecular X-ray crystallography. Because Bragg diffraction describes the average positional distribution of crystalline atoms with imperfect precision, the resulting electron density can be compatible with multiple models of motion. Diffuse X-ray scattering can reduce this degeneracy by reporting on correlated atomic displacements. Although recent technological advances are increasing the potential to accurately measure diffuse scattering, computational modeling and validation tools are still needed to quantify the agreement between experimental data and different parameterizations of crystalline disorder. A new tool,phenix.diffuse, addresses this need by employing Guinier's equation to calculate diffuse scattering from Protein Data Bank (PDB)-formatted structural ensembles. As an example case,phenix.diffuseis applied to translation–libration–screw (TLS) refinement, which models rigid-body displacement for segments of the macromolecule. To enable the calculation of diffuse scattering from TLS-refined structures,phenix.tls_as_xyzbuilds multi-model PDB files that sample the underlying T, L and S tensors. In the glycerophosphodiesterase GpdQ, alternative TLS-group partitioning and different motional correlations between groups yield markedly dissimilar diffuse scattering maps with distinct implications for molecular mechanism and allostery. These methods demonstrate how, in principle, X-ray diffuse scattering could extend macromolecular structural refinement, validation and analysis.
The quaternary structure of the eukaryotic DNA replication proteins Sld7 and Sld3
Authors: Itou Hiroshi , Shirakihara Yasuo , Araki Hiroyuki
Published: July 2015

The initiation of eukaryotic chromosomal DNA replication requires the formation of an active replicative helicase at the replication origins of chromosomes. Yeast Sld3 and its metazoan counterpart treslin are the hub proteins mediating protein associations critical for formation of the helicase. The Sld7 protein interacts with Sld3, and the complex formed is thought to regulate the function of Sld3. Although Sld7 is a non-essential DNA replication protein that is found in only a limited range of yeasts, its depletion slowed the growth of cells and caused a delay in the S phase. Recently, the Mdm2-binding protein was found to bind to treslin in humans, and its depletion causes defects in cells similar to the depletion of Sld7 in yeast, suggesting their functional relatedness and importance during the initiation step of DNA replication. Here, the crystal structure of Sld7 in complex with Sld3 is presented. Sld7 comprises two structural domains. The N-terminal domain of Sld7 binds to Sld3, and the C-terminal domains connect two Sld7 molecules in an antiparallel manner. The quaternary structure of the Sld3–Sld7 complex shown from the crystal structures appears to be suitable to activate two helicase molecules loaded onto replication origins in a head-to-head manner.
X-ray topography contrast from edge dislocations in ZnGeP2 single crystals
Authors: Okunev A. O. , Verozubova G. A.
Published: July 2015

X-ray topography images in the form of contrast rosettes from edge dislocations of the \{ {\bar 110} \}\langle {110} \rangle slip system in ZnGeP2 single crystals, obtained under different diffraction conditions, are identified and interpreted. To analyze and model the dislocation images, a semi-phenomenological theory of contrast is applied. The simulation of images of edge dislocations under Borrmann effect conditions was carried out in cases when the diffraction vector was parallel or perpendicular to the slip plane of the dislocation. In both cases, the main part of the experimental image is formed because of waveguiding of Bloch waves in the regions of tension and compression of the lattice on either side of the slip plane. Additional image details arise through relaxation of stresses at the exit surface. Since the color of all lobes of the contrast rosette is related to the sign of the deformation, the location of the dislocation half-plane is unambiguously determined. Thus, from the form of the rosette image, it is possible to obtain the slip plane, the magnitude and sign of the Burger's vector, and the direction of the dislocation line.
Crystallographic studies of SarV, a global regulator fromStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Song Yang , Zhang Fan , Li Xu , Zang Jianye , Zhang Xuan
Published: July 2015

SarV, a member of the SarA protein family, is a global transcriptional regulator which has been reported to be involved in the regulation of autolysis inStaphylococcus aureus. In this study, SarV fromS. aureuswas successfully cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.10 Å resolution. The crystals of SarV belonged to the monoclinic space groupP21, with unit-cell parametersa= 36.40,b= 119.64,c= 66.80 Å, α = γ = 90, β = 98.75°. The Matthews coefficient and the solvent content were estimated to be 2.57 Å3 Da−1and 52%, respectively, suggesting the presence of four molecules in the asymmetric unit. The results of size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) indicated thatS. aureusSarV exists as a homodimer in solution. Unfortunately, the structure cannot be solved by molecular replacement because of the low sequence identity ofS. aureusSarV to known structures. Further phase determination by selenomethionine single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) and the heavy-atom method is in progress.
Applying Lean Six Sigma within the university: opportunities for process improvement and cultural change
Authors: Hess James D , Benjamin Bruce A.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to review the historical development of Lean Six Sigma and to identify the relevant opportunities for the application of Lean Six Sigma within the university setting. The paper also discusses the challenges of Lean Six Sigma implementation in higher education, as well as the cultural changes necessary to provide an appropriate climate for its long-term success.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper contains a comprehensive discussion of the development of Lean Six Sigma over the past three decades. Additionally, the paper describes how Lean Six Sigma may be applied in the university setting to improve processes in curriculum delivery; business and auxiliary services; admissions and enrollment management; and research.

Findings

– Lean Six Sigma can be applied to facilitate process improvements in curriculum delivery; business and auxiliary services; admissions and enrollment management; and research. While obstacles to Lean Six Sigma implementation exist, the process improvements and resulting cultural changes are worthwhile and noteworthy.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper serves as a guide for how Lean Six Sigma processes can be utilized in the higher education setting. Other researchers and practitioners may use the paper as a practical orientation to Lean Six Sigma in the university setting.

Originality/value

– Due to the unique culture of higher education, the application of Lean Six Sigma to university processes has been sparse. The paper provides a needed orientation as to how Lean Six Sigma may be applied to improve some of the more important functional aspects of the university.
Employee competences in manufacturing companies – an expert survey
Authors: Meyer Gerrit , Brünig Bianca , Nyhuis Peter
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present competences that are highly relevant for manufacturing today and tomorrow. Following a discussion on the concept of “competence”, a variety of competences are presented and classified into the four facets professional, methodological, social, and self-competence.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using an exploratory method, the paper aims at describing relevant manufacturing-related competences with the help of an online survey. Experts, mostly from the production management or HR departments of manufacturing companies in Germany, were polled and asked to evaluate the relevancy of a list of competences for manufacturing.

Findings

– For the experts, flawless execution and quality awareness are competences with a very high relevance, whereas analytical abilities have very little meaning. The experts questioned expect openness to change to undergo the strongest increase in importance.

Practical implications

– This paper shows competences particularly relevant for future production, so that companies can derive specific competence development measures. The findings are descriptive only, but should enable companies to identify specific competence gaps and to select measures to develop competences.

Originality/value

– This paper attempts to bridge the gap between academics and practice by outlining relevant manufacturing competences that have been evaluated by managers. This is in contrast to most scientific research that classifies manufacturing-related competences as important based on own assessment.
Hiring for the green economy
Authors: Klingenberg Beate , Kochanowski Susan M
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how recruiters at a college career fair perceive sustainability and the knowledge business graduates should have about it. It reports on how recruiters understand sustainability and perceive their organization’s engagement and resulting expectations for new hires. The results indicate that recruiters neither understand sustainability well, nor are suitably informed of their organizations’ needs with respect to this topic. Educators, as a consequence, face a dilemma of how to craft adequate educational experiences, as employer needs are not clearly expressed. The paper concludes with suggestions on how educational institutions can nevertheless proceed with offerings in sustainability education.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study was performed by conducting personal, structured interviews at a college career fair.

Findings

– While most respondents considered sustainability to be an important topic, there appears to be a lack of thorough understanding of sustainability. Recruiters were not overly informed about their organizations’ position and efforts toward sustainability. They considered it to be important that students learn about sustainability, but preferences for educational tools were not aligned with expected depth of knowledge. This leaves educators in search of guidance on how to align educational offerings with organizational needs.

Research limitations/implications

– As a pilot study, the total number of interviewed organizations was low, and therefore, the results should not be over-interpreted. The findings nevertheless point to a clear disconnect between organizations’ expressed needs for adequate trained personal and their ability to define what they are looking for. These results encourage more research to develop a better link between company strategy toward sustainability, recruiter’s know-how of it and concise expectations in new hires that could be mirrored in educational offerings.

Practical implications

– Human resources play a critical role in providing organizations with the capabilities to become more sustainable. Organizations need to develop concise recruitment policies that better communicate what they are looking for, as well as educational programs for recruiters to ensure future hiring fulfills critical needs.

Originality/value

– This paper closes a gap in the literature as it includes a thus-far ignored stakeholder group, namely recruiters; into the research on how to align organizational needs with the development of adequate educational offerings that generate future leaders and managers well-versed in sustainability.
Formal mentorships: examining objective-setting, event participation and experience
Authors: Matarazzo Kristina L. , Finkelstein Lisa M.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate commonly recommended practices for formal mentoring programs (FMP). The authors examine how objective-setting, participating in organizational FMP events, and repeat participation in a FMP relates to how mentors and mentees perceive their relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

– Mentor and mentee participants in an 18-month FMP within a consumer goods organization responded to a survey. Proposed hypotheses, competing hypotheses, and exploratory research questions were tested using regression.

Findings

– Setting objectives was most important to the mentoring relationship when mentors were unable to attend orientation events. Veteran mentees reported learning more from the relationship when paired with a veteran mentor; novice mentees reported the same when paired with novice mentors.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings provide some research evidence supporting practitioner-recommended best practices. The conclusions are limited by the cross-sectional nature of the data collection and the lack of random assignment to FMP events. Future research should consider field experiments, and explore a wider range of events and activities.

Practical implications

– The importance of goal setting should be stressed more often in training and orientation for FMPs, and program administrators should consider using repeat participation as a factor in matching.

Originality/value

– This is the first study to examine relationship-quality variables and learning in relation to participation in organization-sponsored events and to repeat involvement in a program. It also answers a call in the literature for studies on the characteristics that can enhance the success of formal mentoring efforts.
Time in teams: cognitions, conflict and team satisfaction
Authors: Standifer Rhetta L. , Raes Anneloes M.L. , Peus Claudia , Passos Ana Margarida , Santos Catarina Marques , Weisweiler Silke
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide more insight into team temporal constructs and team satisfaction, this study proposes and tests a multiple mediation model of shared temporal cognition (STC), temporal conflict (TC), action processes, and team satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors test the theoretical model in a sample of 364 student teams (1,414 individuals) from universities in the USA, Switzerland, Germany, and Portugal. Participants completed questionnaires at three points in time.

Findings

– Results indicated a direct, positive relationship between STC and team satisfaction and a direct, negative relationship between TC and team satisfaction. Action processes and TC partially and sequentially mediated the relationship between STC and team satisfaction over time.

Research limitations/implications

– This study was restricted to self-report, to a student population, and to Western cultures. The study was not of an experimental nature which prevents making causal claims regarding relationships among variables.

Practical implications

– These results demonstrate the need for teams to be conscious of time and its relationship to team interaction and satisfaction. The authors advise both team leaders and members to acknowledge the importance of STC.

Social implications

– The need for temporal awareness and STC in collaborative endeavors, and the need to mindfully utilize action processes to minimize conflict and assist in the effective use of shared cognition is widely applicable from a societal perspective.

Originality/value

– This study provides new theoretical and empirical insight into a multiple mediation model including STC, TC, action processes, and team satisfaction. The size and multi-cultural nature of the sample also enhance the generalizability of the findings.
Online processing of sentences containing noun modification in young children with high‐functioning autism
Authors: Bavin Edith L. , Prendergast Luke A. , Kidd Evan , Baker Emma , Dissanayake Cheryl
Published: July 2015

Background: There is variability in the language of children with autism, even those who are high functioning. However, little is known about how they process language structures in real time, including how they handle potential ambiguity, and whether they follow referential constraints. Previous research with older autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participants has shown that these individuals can use context to access rapidly the meaning of ambiguous words. The severity of autism has also been shown to influence the speed in which children with ASD access lexical information.

Aims: To understand more about how children with ASD process language in real time (i.e., as it unfolds). The focus was the integration of information and use of referential constraints to identify a referent named in a sentence.

Methods & Procedures: We used an eye‐tracking task to compare performance between young, high‐functioning children with autism (HFA) and children with typical development (TD). A large sample of 5–9‐year‐old children (mean age = 6;8 years), 48 with HFA and 56 with TD participated; all were attending mainstream schools. For each item participants were shown a display of four images that differed in two dimensions. Each sentence contained an adjective and noun that restricted the choice from four to two (the target and competitor), followed by a prepositional phrase (e.g., the blue square with dots); this added modifying information to provide a unique description of the target. We calculated looking time at the target, the competitor and the two distractors for each 200 ms time interval as children processed the sentence and looked at the display. Generalized estimating equations were used to carry out repeated‐measures analyses on the proportion of looking time to target and competitor and time to fixate to target.

Outcomes & Results: Children in both groups (HFA and TD) looked at the target and competitor more than at the distractors following the adjective and noun and following the modifying information in the prepositional phrase more at the target. However, the HFA group was significantly slower in both phases and looked proportionally less at the target. Across the sample, IQ and language did not affect the results; however, age and attention had an impact. The older children showed an advantage in processing the information as did the children with higher attention scores.

Conclusions & Implications: The HFA group took longer than the TD group to integrate the disambiguating information provided in the course of processing a sentence and integrate it with the visual information, indicating that for the ASD group incremental processing was not as advanced as for children with ASD, and they were less sensitive to referential conventions. Training for young children with ASD on the use of referential conventions and available contextual clues may be of benefit to them in understanding the language they hear.
Disorder and disconnection: parent experiences of liminality when caring for their dying child
Authors: Jordan Joanne , Price Jayne , Prior Lindsay
Published: July 2015

Parents caring for a child with a life threatening or life limiting illness experience a protracted and largely unknown journey, as they and their child oscillate somewhere between life and death. Using an interpretive qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with parents (n = 25) of children who had died. Findings reveal parents’ experiences to be characterised by personal disorder and transformation as well as social marginalisation and disconnection. As such they confirm the validity of understanding these experiences as, fundamentally, one of liminality, in terms of both individual and collective response. In dissecting two inter‐related dimensions of liminality, an underlying tension between how transition is subjectively experienced and how it is socially regulated is exposed. In particular, a structural failure to recognise the chronic nature of felt liminality can impede parents’ effective transition.
Pathways to Prison in New York State
Authors: Tahamont Sarah , Yan Shi , Bushway Shawn D. , Liu Jing
Published: July 2015

Research Summary

In this study, we use a novel application of group‐based trajectory modeling to estimate pathways to prison for a sample of 13,769 first‐time prison inmates in New York State. We found that 12% of the sample was heavily involved in the criminal justice system for 10 years prior to their first imprisonment. We also found that less than one quarter of the sample had little contact with the criminal justice system prior to the arrest that resulted in imprisonment.

Policy Implications

Slightly less than one quarter of first‐time inmates are not known to the criminal justice system prior to the commitment arrest. For these inmates, crime‐prevention interventions that identify participants through criminal justice processes will not be effective. However, the arrest rates for a substantial portion of the sample over the 10‐year period before imprisonment suggest a staggering number of opportunities for intervention as these individuals churn through the system.
Nutrient versus seed bank depletion approaches to controlling exotic annuals in threatened Box Gum woodlands
Authors: Cole Ian Arthur , Prober Suzanne , Lunt Ian , Koen Terry B.
Published: July 2015

Control of exotic annuals is often a priority when restoring degraded grasslands or shrublands. This study evaluated combinations of nutrient‐depleting (carbon addition) and seed bank‐depleting approaches for controlling exotic annuals, and compared the seed bank depletion technique of spring burning with the more easily applied technique of pulse grazing. Treatments were applied in two Box Gum woodlands over 4 years. Consistent with earlier studies, carbon addition dramatically reduced exotic annuals and available nutrients in all 3 years at both sites. Exotic annual grass abundance was significantly reduced in burnt plots following the first year and in grazed plots following the second year of application. Spring burning or grazing did not reduce available nutrients or exotic annual broadleaf abundance at either site. The effect of carbon addition on exotic annuals and available nutrients was so powerful that no additional benefit of the combination treatments was found, although at one site burning and grazing slightly reduced the effectiveness of carbon addition in suppressing broadleaf exotic annuals. We conclude that nutrient‐depleting approaches are most effective because they control both exotic annual grasses and broadleaf exotics annuals, but given their expense seed bank‐depleting approaches may be more practical where exotic annual grasses dominate. In particular, pulse grazing is readily applied across large areas, offering a relatively simple tool that if appropriately implemented could enhance outcomes of restoration investments in vegetation communities invaded by exotic annual grasses.
Increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C patients with new onset diabetes: a nation‐wide cohort study
Authors: Huang Y.‐W. , Wang T.‐C. , Yang S.‐S. , Lin S.‐Y. , Fu S.‐C. , Hu J.‐T. , Liu C.‐J. , Kao J.‐H. , Chen D.‐S.
Published: July 2015

Background

The impact of diabetes for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients remains controversial.

Aim

To investigate the risk of HCC in CHC patients who develop new onset diabetes.

Methods

We conducted a nation‐wide cohort study by using Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database, which comprised of data from >99% of entire population. Among randomly sampled one million enrollees, 6251 adult CHC patients were identified from 1997 to 2009. Diabetes was defined as new onset in the patient who was given the diagnosis in the years 1999–2009 but not in 1997–1998. The cohorts of CHC with new onset diabetes (n = 1100) and 1:1 ratio age‐, gender‐, and inception point (onset date of diabetes) matched nondiabetes (n = 1087) were followed up from the inception point until the development of HCC, withdrawal from insurance, or December 2009.

Results

After adjustment for competing mortality, patients with new onset diabetes had a significantly higher cumulative incidence of HCC (Relative Risk = 1.544, 95% CI = 1.000–2.387, modified log‐rank test, P = 0.047) as compared to those without. After adjustment for age, gender, cirrhosis, hyperlipidaemia, CHC treatment, diabetes treatment, comorbidity index, obesity and statins therapy by Cox proportional hazard model, diabetes was still an independent predictor for HCC (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.906, 95% CI = 1.102–3.295, P = 0.021). The risk for HCC was increased in those who were 40–59 years old, independent of other variables (HR = 3.086, 95% CI = 1.045–9.112, P = 0.041), and after adjustment for competing mortality (modified log‐rank test, P = 0.009).

Conclusion

Chronic hepatitis C patients who develop diabetes are at an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma over time.
Clinical and pathological features of Burkitt lymphoma showing expression of BCL2 – an analysis including gene expression in formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue
Authors: Masqué‐Soler Neus , Szczepanowski Monika , Kohler Christian W. , Aukema Sietse M. , Nagel Inga , Richter Julia , Siebert Reiner , Spang Rainer , Burkhardt Birgit , Klapper Wolfram
Published: July 2015

The differential diagnosis between Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be challenging. BL has been reported to express less BCL2 than DLBCL, but this issue has not been analysed systematically. BL expressing BCL2 can be considered to be MYC/BCL2 co‐expressors, a feature that is associated with poorer outcome in DLBCL but that has not been correlated with outcome in BL so far. We analysed the expression of BCL2 in 150 cases of conventionally diagnosed BL using two different BCL2 antibodies. BCL2 expression was detected in 23% of the cases, though the expression varied in intensity and number of positive cells. We did not detect any relevant differences in clinical presentation and outcome between BCL2‐positive and BCL2‐negative BL in a subgroup of 43 cases for which detailed clinical data were available. An independent cohort of 17 BL with expression of BCL2 were analysed molecularly, with 13 of 17 cases classified as molecularly defined BL (Burkitt Lymphoma) using gene expression profiling on formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissues. The four lymphomas diagnosed molecularly as intermediates did not differ in clinical presentation and outcome from molecularly defined BL.
Cannabidiol is a negative allosteric modulator of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor
Authors: Laprairie R B , Bagher A M , Kelly M E M , Denovan‐Wright E M
Published: July 2015

Background and Purpose

Cannabidiol has been reported to act as an antagonist at cannabinoid CB1 receptors. We hypothesized that cannabidiol would inhibit cannabinoid agonist activity through negative allosteric modulation of CB1 receptors.

Experimental Approach

Internalization of CB1 receptors, arrestin2 recruitment, and PLCβ3 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, were quantified in HEK 293A cells heterologously expressing CB1 receptors and in the STHdhQ7/Q7 cell model of striatal neurons endogenously expressing CB1 receptors. Cells were treated with 2‐arachidonylglycerol or Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol alone and in combination with different concentrations of cannabidiol.

Key Results

Cannabidiol reduced the efficacy and potency of 2‐arachidonylglycerol and Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol on PLCβ3‐ and ERK1/2‐dependent signalling in cells heterologously (HEK 293A) or endogenously (STHdhQ7/Q7) expressing CB1 receptors. By reducing arrestin2 recruitment to CB1 receptors, cannabidiol treatment prevented internalization of these receptors. The allosteric activity of cannabidiol depended upon polar residues being present at positions 98 and 107 in the extracellular amino terminus of the CB1 receptor.

Conclusions and Implications

Cannabidiol behaved as a non‐competitive negative allosteric modulator of CB1 receptors. Allosteric modulation, in conjunction with effects not mediated by CB1 receptors, may explain the in vivo effects of cannabidiol. Allosteric modulators of CB1 receptors have the potential to treat CNS and peripheral disorders while avoiding the adverse effects associated with orthosteric agonism or antagonism of these receptors.
Treatment withdrawal in relapsing−remitting multiple sclerosis: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lus G. , Signoriello E. , Maniscalco G. T. , Bonavita S. , Signoriello S. , Gallo C.
Published: July 2015

Background

To investigate the effect of drug withdrawal on the course of relapsing−remitting multiple sclerosis (RR‐MS).

Methods

An observational cohort retrospective study was performed to compare the time to relapse of patients who discontinued disease‐modifying therapy (1a or 1b beta‐interferons or glatiramer acetate) with the patients who did not. One hundred and twenty‐eight RR‐MS patients were investigated using a time‐dependent approach.

Results

Over a median follow‐up of 108 months, 60 patients discontinued treatment and 89 relapses were observed. The time to relapse was shorter in patients who discontinued treatment compared with those who did not (P < 0.001), median times being 31.1 months (95% confidence interval 10.4–50.8) and 85.8 months (95% confidence interval 58.6–106.3), respectively, whilst the baseline covariates (gender, Expanded Disability Status Scale at diagnosis) did not significantly affect the prognosis.

Conclusions

It was found that stopping treatment strongly reduces the time to relapse and this information may be useful in patient management.
Hippocampal‐thalamic wiring in medial temporal lobe epilepsy: Enhanced connectivity per hippocampal voxel
Authors: Dinkelacker Vera , Valabregue Romain , Thivard Lionel , Lehéricy Stéphane , Baulac Michel , Samson Séverine , Dupont Sophie
Published: July 2015

Objective

Medial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) with hippocampal sclerosis is often accompanied by widespread changes in ipsilateral and contralateral white matter connectivity. Recent studies have proposed that patients may show pathologically enhanced wiring of the limbic circuits. To better address this issue, we specifically probed connection patterns between hippocampus and thalamus and examined their impact on cognitive function.

Methods

A group of 44 patients with TLE (22 with right and 22 with left hippocampal sclerosis) and 24 healthy control participants were examined with high‐resolution T1 imaging, memory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and probabilistic diffusion tractography. Thirty‐four patients had further extensive neuropsychological testing. After whole brain segmentation with FreeSurfer, tractography streamline samples were drawn with hippocampus as the seed and thalamus as the target region. Two tractography strategies were applied: The first targeted the anatomic thalamic volume segmented in FreeSurfer and the second a functional region of interest in the mediodorsal thalamus derived from the activation during delayed recognition memory.

Results

We found a pronounced enhancement of connectivity between the sclerotic hippocampus and the ipsilateral thalamus both in the right and left TLE as compared to healthy control participants. This finding held for both the anatomically and the functionally defined thalamic target. Although differences were apparent in the number of absolute fibers, they were most pronounced when correcting for hippocampal volume. In terms of cognitive function, the number of hippocampal‐thalamic connections was negatively correlated with performance in a variety of executive tasks, notably in the Trail Making Test, thus suggesting that the pathologic wiring did not compensate cognitive curtailing.

Significance

We suggest that TLE is accompanied by an abnormal and dysfunctional enhancement of connectivity between the hippocampus and the thalamus, which is maximal on the side of the sclerosis. This pathologic pattern of limbic wiring might reflect structural remodeling along common pathways of seizure propagation.
The direct cost of epilepsy in the United States: A systematic review of estimates
Authors: Begley Charles E. , Durgin Tracy L.
Published: July 2015

Objective

To develop estimates of the direct cost of epilepsy in the United States for the general epilepsy population and sub‐populations by systematically comparing similarities and differences in types of estimates and estimation methods from recently published studies.

Methods

Papers published since 1995 were identified by systematic literature search. Information on types of estimates, study designs, data sources, types of epilepsy, and estimation methods was extracted from each study. Annual per person cost estimates from methodologically similar studies were identified, converted to 2013 U.S. dollars, and compared.

Results

From 4,104 publications discovered in the literature search, 21 were selected for review. Three were added that were published after the search. Eighteen were identified that reported estimates of average annual direct costs for the general epilepsy population in the United States. For general epilepsy populations (comprising all clinically defined subgroups), total direct healthcare costs per person ranged from $10,192 to $47,862 and epilepsy‐specific costs ranged from $1,022 to $19,749. Four recent studies using claims data from large general populations yielded relatively similar epilepsy‐specific annual cost estimates ranging from $8,412 to $11,354. Although more difficult to compare, studies examining direct cost differences for epilepsy sub‐populations indicated a consistent pattern of markedly higher costs for those with uncontrolled or refractory epilepsy, and for those with comorbidities.

Significance

This systematic review found that various approaches have been used to estimate the direct costs of epilepsy in the United States. However, recent studies using large claims databases and similar methods allow estimation of the direct cost burden of epilepsy for the general disease population, and show that it is greater for some patient subgroups. Additional research is needed to further understand the broader economic burden of epilepsy and how it varies across subpopulations.
Is the first seizure epilepsy—and when?
Authors: Lawn Nicholas , Chan Josephine , Lee Judy , Dunne John
Published: July 2015

Objective

Epilepsy has recently been redefined to include a single unprovoked seizure if the probability of recurrence is ≥60% over the following 10 years. This definition is based on the estimated risk of a third seizure after two unprovoked seizures, using the lower‐limit 95% confidence interval (CI) at 4 years, and does not account for the initially high recurrence rate after first‐ever seizure that rapidly falls with increasing duration of seizure freedom. We analyzed long‐term outcomes after the first‐ever seizure, and the influence of duration of seizure freedom on the likelihood of seizure recurrence, and their relevance to the new definition of epilepsy.

Methods

Prospective analysis of 798 adults with a first‐ever unprovoked seizure seen at a hospital‐based first seizure clinic between 2000 and 2011. The likelihood of seizure recurrence was analyzed according to the duration of seizure freedom, etiology, electroencephalography (EEG), and neuroimaging findings.

Results

The likelihood of seizure recurrence at 10 years was ≥60% in patients with epileptiform abnormalities on EEG or neuroimaging abnormalities, therefore, meeting the new definition of epilepsy. However, the risk of recurrence was highly time dependent; after a brief period (≤12 weeks) of seizure freedom, no patient group continued to fulfill the new definition of epilepsy. Of 407 patients who had a second seizure, the likelihood of a third seizure at 4 years was 68% (95% CI 63–73%) and at 10 years was 85% (95% CI 79–91%).

Significance

The duration of seizure freedom following first‐ever seizure substantially influences the risk of recurrence, with none of our patients fulfilling the new definition of epilepsy after a short period of seizure freedom. When a threshold was applied based on the 10‐year risk of a third seizure from our data, no first‐seizure patient group ever had epilepsy. These data may be utilized in a definition of epilepsy after a first‐ever seizure.