bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy security, moratoria and domestic gas: Australia, LNG and its gas policy catch-22
Authors: Flynn Christopher , Tsokos Emily
Published: May 2017

In a region undergoing rapid and profound geopolitical change, energy security will be more important than ever. As a key regional energy producer, Australia will play a fundamental role in the energy security of its major trading partners. However, ironically, it also faces energy security challenges of its own.
Over the next 12months, as Australia becomes the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), its own domestic gas demand will also continue to grow. At the same time, one or more of our LNG facilities is expected to start to face significant upstream gas supply constraints. All of them will experience greater global competition. Yet, ever increasing pressure continues to be exerted on Australia’s governments to restrict, curb or even completely stop further exploration and development of hydrocarbons around the country. In New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory that pressure has effectively ended new gas exploration and development for the foreseeable future. Elsewhere, it has resulted in increased regulation and uncertainty.
There is a natural tension between Australia’s domestic energy security, its economic and national security interests in remaining at the heart of regional energy security, and important environmental objectives. However, these concepts and priorities do not need to be mutually exclusive, but can be achieved in balance with the right policy settings.
This paper will discuss the political impasse we have reached, and the main policy options available to thread the needle between securing an economic domestic supply of gas and allowing our gas explorers, producers and exporters to continue to grow. It will seek to provide a practical analysis against the backdrop of the rapidly changing regional economic and political environment, as well as seeking to inform and stimulate the broader debate.
Effect of brine salinity on CO2 plume migration and trapping capacity in deep saline aquifers
Authors: Al-Khdheeawi Emad A. , Vialle Stephanie , Barifcani Ahmed , Sarmadivaleh Mohammad , Iglauer Stefan
Published: May 2017

CO2 migration and storage capacity are highly affected by various parameters (e.g. reservoir temperature, vertical to horizontal permeability ratio, cap rock properties, aquifer depth and the reservoir heterogeneity). One of these parameters, which has received little attention, is brine salinity. Although brine salinity has been well demonstrated previously as a factor affecting rock wettability (i.e. higher brine salinity leads to more CO2-wet rocks), its effect on the CO2 storage process has not been addressed effectively. Thus, we developed a three-dimensional homogeneous reservoir model to simulate the behaviour of a CO2 plume in a deep saline aquifer using five different salinities (ranging from 2000 to 200 000 ppm) and have predicted associated CO2 migration patterns and trapping capacities. CO2 was injected at a depth of 1408 m for a period of 1 year at a rate of 1 Mt year–1 and then stored for the next 100 years. The results clearly indicate that 100 years after the injection of CO2 has stopped, the salinity has a significant effect on the CO2 migration distance and the amount of mobile, residual and dissolved CO2. First, the results show that higher brine salinity leads to an increase in CO2 mobility and CO2 migration distance, but reduces the amount of residually trapped CO2. Furthermore, high brine salinity leads to reduced dissolution trapping. Thus, we conclude that less-saline aquifers are preferable CO2 sinks.
System impacts of introducing crop grazing into pasture-based systems: the McClymont Memorial Lecture
Authors: Dove H.
Published: May 2017

The present paper briefly discusses the impacts of introducing dual-purpose (DP) crops as a grazing resource into what were previously pasture-only grazing systems. The emphasis is on the high-value crops wheat and canola, since these have the greatest potential to increase profits by providing both winter grazing and a high-value grain or seed crop at harvest. A major potential impact of grazing on such crops is that the reduction in grain yield caused by grazing offsets the value of the grazing obtained. The paper shows that this is not the case and that if crop grazing is performed correctly, there will be minimal impact on grain or seed yield; yield may even be increased. ‘Correctly’ in this context refers mainly to the timely removal of livestock from the crop. Increases in grain yield after grazing arise principally from the conservation of soil water from the winter period through to the grain-ripening stage. The paper emphasises that although the digestibility and crude protein content of DP crops are high, the use of long-season bread wheats as a grazing resource requires that system managers pay greater attention to the sodium and magnesium status of the grazing livestock. This is because of the often high potassium and very low sodium concentrations of wheat forage, which leads to high potassium : sodium ratios in the rumen and reduced absorption of dietary magnesium. Supplementation with sodium and/or magnesium has significantly increased the liveweight gain of stock grazing wheat, but is contra-indicated when grazing canola. The paper also considers the interaction between the amount of grazing provided directly by the crop(s), relative to the possibly increased grazing available from the pasture component of the system, due to ‘pasture spelling’ while livestock are grazing the crop. Data are presented to show that, overall, the introduction of crop grazing into a previously pasture-based system greatly increases the total amount of grazing obtained. In addition, of the total extra grazing obtained in crop–pasture versus pasture-only systems, up to 40% has been found to come from spelled pasture. This has major implications for the management of the total system. The paper concludes by suggesting that, in the future, research on crop–pasture systems should continue, but should pay greater attention to the grazing of DP crops by cattle and particularly by breeding livestock. In addition, there is a need for much better data on the contribution of crop residues to the total grazing system, plus data on the effects of the introduction of DP crops on the wool production of the total grazing system.
Synthesis, Characterisation, and Photocatalytic Behaviour of Mesoporous ZnS Nanoparticles Prepared Using By-Product Templating
Authors: Emrooz Hosein B. Motejadded , Rahmani Ali R. , Gotor Francisco J.
Published: May 2017

High surface area mesoporous ZnS nanoparticles (MZN) were obtained with the aid of the by-product of the synthesising reaction. This by-product, namely NaNO3, can be considered as a soft template responsible for the formation of pores. Ethanol and water were chosen as the synthesis media. Ultrasonic waves were used as an accelerator for the synthesis of MZNs. Photocatalytic activities of the synthesised samples for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) were investigated under ultraviolet irradiation. Synthesised specimens were characterised using field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, N2-physisorption, and FT-IR spectroscopy. Results indicated that the synthesis media has a pronounced effect on the surface properties of the final porous particles by several mechanisms. The specific surface area of the MZN samples synthesised in water and ethanol were determined to be 53 and 201 m2 g−1, respectively. The difference in the specific surface area was attributed to the weak solvation of S2− ions (Na2S·5H2O in ethanol) and also to the by-product of the synthesis reaction. The photocatalytic behaviour of the mesoporous ZnS nanoparticles synthesised in these two media were investigated and the results have been interpreted with the aid of effective surface area, pore volume, and bandgap energy of the specimens.
Gender dysphoria and the controversy over the Safe Schools program
Authors: Parkinson Patrick
Published: May 2017

The Safe Schools program has attracted great controversy. On one end of the spectrum, it is defended as an anti-bullying program for young people who identify themselves as gay or lesbian, or have issues concerning their gender identity. On the other end of the spectrum, it is regarded as social engineering. This article seeks to promote a discussion of the way in which gender identity issues are addressed in the Safe Schools program. It is argued that the information in this program to Principals, teachers and young people is inaccurate and misleading. The program, as presently designed, may actually cause harm to children and young people who experience gender identity issues because it promotes gender transitioning without expert medical advice. The Safe Schools materials do not acknowledge that the great majority of children resolve gender dysphoria issues around the time of puberty. It may be much more difficult for a child to accept his or her gender at puberty if he or she has already changed name and gender identity in primary school. These deficits need to be addressed if the program is to continue.
The effects of cognitive aptitudes on the process and product of L2 interaction
Authors: Li Shaofeng
Published: May 2017

This study reports a comprehensive and in-depth synthesis of the theory and research on the role of working memory and language aptitude in mediating the process and product of second language (L2) interaction. The synthesis integrates meta-analysis and narrative review, using the former approach to aggregate the results and the latter to report themes and patterns that emerged from the studies. Altogether 24 studies were retrieved examining the relationships between the two cognitive variables and various aspects of L2 interaction. With regard to working memory, the results showed that (1) it had significant, albeit weak, associations with the effects of corrective feedback, (2) its associations with noticing the gap and producing modified output were variable and inconsistent, and (3) whereas phonological short-term memory may facilitate the development of oral ability, executive working memory may be essential for oral performance. Unlike working memory’s weak predictive power, language aptitude was found to be a strong predictor of the effects of corrective feedback. However, similar to the pattern for working memory, language aptitude was significantly more correlated with the effects of explicit feedback than those of implicit feedback. The overall weak effects of working memory were attributable to the salience of the instructional treatments and the methodological inconsistency of the primary studies such as the diverse measures of noticing. The finding that both working memory and language aptitude were more heavily implicated in explicit than implicit treatments points to the need to explore implicit language learning abilities.
Gender and recasts
Authors: Nakatsukasa Kimi
Published: May 2017

This study investigated the influence of learners’ gender on the effectiveness of verbal recasts and gesture-enhanced recasts. A total of 40 adult English-as-a second-language learners participated. In the first condition, the learners received verbal recasts during two communicative tasks. The results showed no difference across gender. In the second condition, the learners received gesture-enhanced recasts. Females significantly outperformed males with a strong effect size in the immediate to delayed posttests gain score but not in the gain score of pretest to immediate posttests. This indicates that the long-term effectiveness of recasts seems to be influenced by learners’ gender. The results are discussed in relation to learners’ memory and the exposure to visual cues.
Instructor individual characteristics and L2 interaction
Authors: Gurzynski-Weiss Laura
Published: May 2017

This chapter opens the second section of the volume, which focuses on second and foreign language (L2) instructors. After defining the research domain of instructor individual characteristics, the chapter provides an overview of the role(s) of the instructor situated within the interaction approach (Gass & Mackey, 2015). It then examines how instructor individual characteristics may influence the L2 interaction-based learning opportunities instructors provide to learners, focusing on those most relevant for the framework- namely, comprehensible input, usable feedback and negotiation for meaning, opportunities to interact within meaning-based and appropriately complex tasks and task sequences, and opportunities to produce output, including modified output. Alongside this theoretical discussion, the chapter provides a critical and state-of-the-art review of studies that have examined instructor characteristics within this framework and demonstrates how instructor individual characteristics play an important role in L2 interaction-based learning opportunities. It concludes with considerations of how instructor individual characteristics undoubtedly interact with learner individual differences and contextual factors and outlines promising areas for future research on instructor individual characteristics within and beyond the interaction approach.
Vietnamese TESOL teachers’ cognitions and practices
Authors: Chu Thi Le Hoang , Oliver Rhonda
Published: May 2017

Due to its historical and socio-cultural context, the traditional way of teaching and learning in Vietnam follows Confucian traditions and is characterized by teacher-centeredness and passive student learning. To develop learner autonomy and promote the development of communicative competence, especially in English classrooms, recent policy reforms require a shift from traditional teaching to a learner-centered approach and methods that promote meaningful interaction. This study was undertaken in a tertiary teaching setting in Vietnam where English is taught to speakers of other languages. A total of 36 English language teachers participated with a particular focus, a sub-group of 10. We used open-ended survey questions, classroom observations, and in-depth interviews to explore teacher cognitions and the relationship of these to pedagogical practices. Using thematic analysis, we found that teachers’ cognitions centered on five issues: centrality of student need, the acknowledgement of student characteristics, the cultivation of student autonomy, the development of interpersonal relationships in the classroom, and principled pragmatism. Through classroom observations we found individual variation, but overall a complex, and at times inconsistent, relationship between teacher cognitions and their classroom practices.
Linguistic variation in instructor provision of oral input
Authors: Gurzynski-Weiss Laura , Geeslin Kimberly L. , Long Avizia Y. , Daidone Danielle
Published: May 2017

The current study examines the variable use of verbal subjects (e.g., explicit yo hablo vs. null hablo ‘[I] speak’), in oral production by five native-speaking instructors directed to Spanish foreign language (FL) learners in a university setting. Our data consisted of instructors’ oral presentation of grammar-focused tasks in one to three Spanish FL lessons. Results demonstrate individual differences in patterns of use by instructor, and are interpreted in the context of learners’ acquisition of subject expression (e.g., Abreu, 2009; Geeslin, 2011a, 2011b; Geeslin, Linford, & Fafulas, 2015; Geeslin, Linford, Fafulas, Long, & Díaz-Campos, 2012) and patterns of variable use by native speakers across out-of-classroom settings and tasks (e.g., Abreu, 2009; Geeslin, 2006; Geeslin & Gudmestad, 2008a, 2008b). An exploration of individual characteristics such as country of origin (i.e., regional dialect), age of learning of English, years in the United States, and years teaching Spanish provides further evidence of the complex nature of this phenomenon. Future areas of investigation of instructor classroom input, particularly in relation to learner opportunities for use and development of variable structures, are outlined.
Preservice instructors’ performance on a language learning task
Authors: Polio Charlene , Gass Susan M.
Published: May 2017

Previous research has shown that preservice instructors focus less on language while completing dyadic language learning tasks (Polio, Gass, & Chapin, 2006) and give less feedback than experienced instructors in a classroom setting (Mackey, Polio, & McDonough, 2004). Although most language teacher education programs provide some training in second language acquisition (SLA) to encourage, inter alia, preservice instructors’ understanding of the importance of focusing on language, it is not clear to what extent the information obtained in these courses or course modules is utilized in practice. This paper investigates the extent to which a short intervention based on SLA research findings is successful in modifying the awareness and behaviors of preservice instructors with respect to learners’ output and teachers’ task orientation (i.e., their perceptions of the purpose of the task). An experimental group (n = 17) of preservice teachers was given instruction on the role of output in SLA and training in ways to elicit output. They were then each paired with an English-as-a-second language (ESL) learner and participated in a dyadic interactive task. A control group (n = 14) did not have training prior to the interactive task. Six instructors from the experimental group and five from the control group participated in a stimulated recall session. The results demonstrated that the intervention was successful in raising preservice instructors’ awareness of how they should complete the task. However, with respect to behavioral change, their intended strategy did not always last through the entire interaction; these preservice instructors often reverted to tactics typically used by novice teachers. In light of these results, we argue that extended hands-on activities combined with discussions of SLA constructs can lead to behavior changes for preservice instructors.
Markedness in substance-free and substance-dependent phonology
Authors: Odden David
Published: May 2017

The true nature of “markedness” in the history of phonology is highly uncertain, in that the term is used to refer to a wide array of facts about language, and there is little agreement over what the term even refers to, much less whether it is a valid concept. This paper reviews certain applications of that concept in phonology, in search of some unity behind “markedness”. I show that “markedness” is about two unrelated things: formal properties of language, and functional probability of occurrence. Much effort has been put into forcing these two conceptions under a single computation umbrella, and that effort bears significant responsibility for the development of substance-dependent theories of grammar. As for whether “markedness” is a worthy topic of investigation, it is argued that the original formal question underlying markedness is still worth scrutiny in the theory of grammar: what is the nature of phonological features?
Contrast is irrelevant in phonology
Authors: Reiss Charles
Published: May 2017

Halle’s (1959) argument against a distinction between morphophonemic and phonemic rules can be understood as an argument against the relevance of contrast to phonology. After adducing further arguments against a role for contrast, the paper provides a simple contrast-free analysis of the classic problem of the voicing behavior of Russian /v/. This segment undergoes voicing assimilation (like other obstruents), but does not trigger it (thus acting like the sonorants). In contrast to a long history of treating /v/ as a covert sonorant, the paper attributes the behavior of Russian /v/, which surfaces always as an obstruent, to underspecification with respect to the feature Voice.
What are grammars made of?
Authors: Blevins Juliette
Published: May 2017

The 21st century has brought major advances in our understanding of sound patterns, their phonetic basis, and their cross-linguistic diversity. Properties that were once thought to be universal, from phonological features to prosodic units like the syllable, have shown themselves to be highly variable across languages, and to sometimes fail at the very specific organizational role they are meant to play within sound systems. The goal of this chapter is to summarize evidence from the diversity of phonological systems that may inform areas of disagreement in modeling phonological grammars, with special attention to the locus of explanation in phonological theory. General arguments against phonological universals and phonological markedness in grammar are presented, including distinctive features, the sonority scale, and the prosodic hierarchy. Arguments for language-specific sound patterns and extra-grammatical explanations are also presented, including rare phoneme inventories, rare phonotactics, and distinct modality-specific properties of spoken versus signed languages.
Markedness and formalising phonological representations
Authors: Ulfsbjorninn Shanti
Published: May 2017

As a linguistic concept, markedness is in trouble (Hale & Reiss 2000, 2008; Blevins 2004; Haspelmath 2006; Samuels 2011; Reiss 2017). Accepting many of these criticisms and conclusions, this chapter, nevertheless, claims that there is space for markedness in formal phonology. By examining syllable structure from a highly representational viewpoint, I conclude that ‘markedness by complexity’ does have explanatory value and that markedness is explicable in terms of ‘structural complexity’ and ‘length of description’. The core demonstration is based on Charette’s (1990, 1991, 1992) formal typology of consonant clusters (CCs). These papers contain important implicational universals that Charette relates directly to her representations. My contribution will be to enrich the typology and reorganize those principles and parameters into a decision tree or parameter hierarchy that derives the implicational universals. Moreover, the number of parameter settings (the depth in the parameter hierarchy) increases the markedness of the resultant grammar. Crucially, each parametric ‘yes’ setting corresponds to an extra empty phonological category or extra ability to license, or reflects the distance between heads and dependents in the representation. For this reason, markedness is not merely a ‘metaphor’ ‘for a cognitive state’ (Haspelmath 2006), it is directly convertible into linguistic categories. This markedness is not part of the online computation of forms (contra Optimality Theory) and markedness statements cannot be re-ranked to obtain different grammars. However, markedness is one step in the chain of explanation for: (a) the apparent step-wise variation of complexity and implicational universals of consonant clusters, (b) the Trubetzkoy hypothesis.
Adjectives with adverbial functions in Romance
Authors: Hummel Martin
Published: May 2017

The adjective adverb interface is crucial for the analysis of adverbial modifiers: adjectives are used with adverbial function (Type A), adjectives are morphologically marked as adverbs (Type B) and adverbial paraphrases often contain adjectives (Type C). In the same ‘local context’ of VP, Type A, B and C may activate similar functions (to speak different/differently/in a different way) or different functions (to shine red/*redly). However, even in the group with similar functions, register (formal/informal) and code (oral/written) account for variationist differences. The inflection vs. derivation debate for Type B adverbs and the recent discussion on ‘adverbial agreement’ adds more possible interfaces. This article provides a critical synthesis of these interfaces.
Parameters in Romance adverb agreement
Authors: Ledgeway Adam
Published: May 2017

Many Romance varieties are known to employ adjectives in adverbial function. This paper explores the parameters involved in the distribution of agreement of adjectival manner adverbs across Romance. Agreement is shown to be sensitive to specific structural configurations which can ultimately be retraced to the phenomenon of split intransitivity: agreement is typically controlled by nominals which at some level of representation are associated with the object relation, although some exceptions to this generalization are noted producing what appear to be ergative patterns. Looking at such evidence from within and beyond Italy, the paper sketches a typology of the differing licensing conditions on adjectival adverb agreement in Romance in an attempt to identify the precise semantico-syntactic parameters involved in the relevant patterns.
Adjectives and adverbs in the Grande grammaire du français
Authors: Abeillé Anne , Bonami Olivier , Godard Danièle , Noailly Michèle
Published: May 2017

The distinction between adjectives and adverbs is a traditional issue in French grammars:

many adverbs are derived from adjectives, usually with a -ment suffix (facile ‘easy’ > facilement ‘easily’) but not always (juste > juste ‘just’)

many adjectives may modify verbs without being inflected (voir clair ‘see clear’) with a manner or result interpretation.

We show how the principles of the Grande grammaire du français (Abeillé & Godard 2012, to appear) allows one to draw a strict division, based on morphosyntactic criteria, for modern French:

only adjectives may vary in gender and number

only adverbs may occur between the auxiliary and the past participle (a clairement/*clair vu ‘has clearly seen’), or before the infinitive (*clair voir), with an integrated prosody.
Are intrapredicative adjectives adverbs?
Authors: Van Raemdonck Dan
Published: May 2017

Traditionally, the adjective/adverb opposition is part of a larger structural framework, where these parts of speech are differentiated by the type of parts of speech with which they have a relationship of dependency. The adjective is said to be related to the noun, and the adverb to the adjective, the verb or another adverb, and each time in relationships systematically described as T1 ← T2, where T2 is related to T1.

In this paper we investigate in French the case of intrapredicative adjectives, i.e. adjectives within the predicate which, counter to prevailing assumptions, appear to be related to the verb. We will try to shape a coherent functional system within which all the different uses of intrapredicative adjectives take place.
Adverb agreement in the dialects of the Lausberg Area
Authors: Silvestri Giuseppina
Published: May 2017

This paper brings uncharted evidence to the phenomenon of adverb agreement in Italo-Romance. Among southern Italian dialects, manner adverbs are not morphologically distinguished from adjectives and, in certain varieties, may agree with a referring nominal. The patterns of agreement are discussed and analysed by assessing and describing novel data retrieved from the upper southern Italian dialects of north-western Calabria. In these varieties adverbs agree with Undergoer/Patient arguments. The semantic entailments of the adverb agreement in transitive and unaccusative clauses disclose the availability of true and pseudo-resultative predicates. Moreover, agreeing adverbs influence the past participle agreement, which normally displays alternative patterns depending of the morpholexical properties of the participle (± metaphonic).
Historical overview of the Romanian adverb
Authors: Chircu Adrian
Published: May 2017

This paper provides an overview of adverbs in the diachrony of the Romanian language with data from the 16th–18th century. The analysis starts from the stock of adverbs inherited from Latin: primary adverbs, adverbs derived from other parts of speech, especially adjectives, or borrowed adjective-adverbs. The striking fact is the lack of adverbs ending in -mente. The presence of this suffix in Western Romance languages is due to the influence of Late Latin. Being only influenced by Slavic languages at the beginning of its existence, the Romanian language started to use the suffix -eşte, the equivalent of -mente. However, short adverbial forms rarely combine with suffixes. This indicates that old forms are resistant to derivation, which differentiates Romanian from other Romance languages.
Descriptive and functional analysis of the solo-solamente adverbial pair in spoken Mexican Spanish
Authors: Medina Gómez Lorena Y. , Alarcón Neve Luisa Josefina
Published: May 2017

This study analyzes the solo-solamente adverbial pair’s syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic distribution and frequency. The data stem from two sociolinguistic corpora of spoken Spanish, the Corpus Sociolingüístico de la Ciudad de México (CSCM) and the Corpus del Habla de Monterrey (CHDM). The objective is to determine the different meanings that this adverbial pair has regarding to information structure and pragmatic implications. It is shown that both units are used as focus operators. Both units come close to synonymy, but solo tends to mark exclusion, while solamente is more often used for simply nuancing.
Question tags in translation
Authors: Buysse Lieven
Published: May 2017

Canonical question tags feature prominently in spoken English, where they display great versatility. At face value they are meant to elicit a response from a co-participant in the form of (dis)agreement with the proposition to which the tag has been added. Their pragmatic scope is, however, considerably broader: they serve as politeness strategies but also emphasize the speaker’s convictions or mark accusations. Like many other languages, Dutch does not have a similar structure, which raises questions as to what devices Dutch employs to serve the same purpose as question tags. This contrastive study examines such correspondents in a parallel corpus of English novels and their Dutch translations. Three structures can be identified: pragmatic markers, clause-final parentheticals and combinations of these. The data indicate a preference for pragmatic markers (most notablyhèandtoch), which predominantly appear either as invariant tags or clause-medially, indicating subtle shifts in utterance interpretation.
Motivating an English-German contrast in word-formation
Authors: Haas Florian
Published: May 2017

German has a set of nouns which are derived from a combination of a preposition and the reciprocal pronouneinander‘one another’. Compounds of this type are strikingly absent from English, although all the components that enter the German formations are available in English, as well. This paper takes a closer look at the relevant word-formation patterns, focusing on compounding and different types of conversion, also taking into account the diachrony of reciprocal pronouns (einanderin German andeach other/one anotherin English) and the role of morphological schemas. It will be argued that for explaining the lack of English nouns corresponding to the German nouns under discussion contrasts in the history and the grammar of reciprocals are less relevant than (i) the availability of well-entrenched word-formation patterns, and (ii) the more significant role of ‘syntactic conversion’ in German.
Malaria and Chikungunya Detected Using Molecular Diagnostics Among Febrile Kenyan Children
Authors: Waggoner Jesse , Brichard Julie , Mutuku Francis , Ndenga Bryson , Heath Claire Jane , Mohamed-Hadley Alisha , Sahoo Malaya K. , Vulule John , Lefterova Martina , Banaei Niaz , Mukoko Dunstan , Pinsky Benjamin A. , LaBeaud A. Desiree
Published: May 2017

Background

In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria is frequently overdiagnosed as the cause of an undifferentiated febrile illness, whereas arboviral illnesses are presumed to be underdiagnosed.

Methods

Sera from 385 febrile Kenyan children, who presented to 1 of 4 clinical sites, were tested using microscopy and real-time molecular assays for dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), malaria, and Leptospira.

Results

Malaria was the primary clinical diagnosis for 254 patients, and an arboviral infection (DENV or CHIKV) was the primary diagnosis for 93 patients. In total, 158 patients (41.0%) had malaria and 32 patients (8.3%) had CHIKV infections. Compared with real-time polymerase chain reaction, microscopy demonstrated a percent positive agreement of 49.7%. The percentage of malaria cases detected by microscopy varied significantly between clinical sites. Arboviral infections were the clinical diagnosis for patients on the Indian Ocean coast (91 of 238, 38.2%) significantly more often than patients in the Lake Victoria region (2 of 145, 1.4%; P < .001). However, detection of CHIKV infections was significantly higher in the Lake Victoria region (19 of 145 [13.1%] vs 13 of 239 [5.4%]; P = .012).

Conclusions

The clinical diagnosis of patients with an acute febrile illness, even when aided by microscopy, remains inaccurate in malaria-endemic areas, contributing to inappropriate management decisions.
Cerebral Epidural Abscess Secondary to Blastomyces Masquerading as an Epidermoid Tumor
Authors: Doberstein Cody , Noor Abass , Choi David , Smith Jacob , Groh Darren , Mermel Leonard , Doberstein Curtis
Published: May 2017

There have been infrequent reports of isolated central nervous system blastomycosis. We report a case of intracranial epidural abscess secondary to Blastomyces dermatitidis in a patient residing in Rhode Island with a history of remote travel to an endemic area. The clinical, radiographic, and pathologic features of this unique case are reviewed.
Opportunities and obstacles for deep learning in biology and medicine
Authors: Ching Travers , Himmelstein Daniel S. , Beaulieu-Jones Brett K. , Kalinin Alexandr A. , Do Brian T. , Way Gregory P. , Ferrero Enrico , Agapow Paul-Michael , Zietz Michael , Hoffman Michael M. , Xie Wei , Rosen Gail L. , Lengerich Benjamin J. , Israeli Johnny , Lanchantin Jack , Woloszynek Stephen , Carpenter Anne E. , Shrikumar Avanti , Xu Jinbo , Cofer Evan M. , Lavender Christopher A. , Turaga Srinivas C. , Alexandari Amr M. , Lu Zhiyong , Harris David J. , DeCaprio Dave , Qi Yanjun , Kundaje Anshul , Peng Yifan , Wiley Laura K. , Segler Marwin H.S. , Boca Simina M. , Swamidass S. Joshua , Huang Austin , Gitter Anthony , Greene Casey S.
Published: May 2017

Deep learning, which describes a class of machine learning algorithms, has recently showed impressive results across a variety of domains. Biology and medicine are data rich, but the data are complex and often ill-understood. Problems of this nature may be particularly well-suited to deep learning techniques. We examine applications of deep learning to a variety of biomedical problems—patient classification, fundamental biological processes, and treatment of patients—and discuss whether deep learning will transform these tasks or if the biomedical sphere poses unique challenges. We find that deep learning has yet to revolutionize or definitively resolve any of these problems, but promising advances have been made on the prior state of the art. Even when improvement over a previous baseline has been modest, we have seen signs that deep learning methods may speed or aid human investigation. More work is needed to address concerns related to interpretability and how to best model each problem. Furthermore, the limited amount of labeled data for training presents problems in some domains, as do legal and privacy constraints on work with sensitive health records. Nonetheless, we foresee deep learning powering changes at both bench and bedside with the potential to transform several areas of biology and medicine.
The microbiota of diapause: How host–microbe associations are formed after dormancy in an aquatic crustacean
Authors: Mushegian Alexandra A. , Walser Jean‐Claude , Sullam Karen E. , Ebert Dieter
Published: May 2017

A critical question in symbiosis research is where and how organisms obtain beneficial microbial symbionts in different ecological contexts. Microbiota of juveniles are often derived directly from their mother or from the immediate environment. The origin of beneficial symbionts, however, is less obvious in organisms with diapause and dispersal stages, such as plants with dormant seeds and animals in ephemeral or strongly seasonal habitats. In these cases, parents and offspring are separated in time and space, which may affect opportunities for both vertical and horizontal transmission of symbionts.

The planktonic crustacean Daphnia produces long‐lasting resting eggs to endure winter freezing and summer droughts and requires microbiota for growth and reproduction. It is unknown how hatchlings from resting stages form associations with microbial consorts after diapause.

Using natural samples of D. magna resting eggs after several years of storage, we show that the total bacterial community derived from both the exterior and interior of the eggs’ ephippial cases is sufficiently beneficial to ensure normal Daphnia functioning in otherwise bacteria‐free conditions. We do not find direct evidence that the required bacteria are of maternal origin, though sequencing reveals that the resting stage is accompanied by bacterial taxa previously found in association with adult animals.

These findings suggest that although Daphnia are strongly dependent on environmental bacteria for normal functioning, host‐bacteria associations are somewhat general and availability of specific bacteria is not a strong constraint on host ecology. Nevertheless, animals and microbes may be ecologically linked through co‐dispersal.
Reorganization of interaction networks modulates the persistence of species in late successional stages
Authors: Saavedra Serguei , Cenci Simone , del‐Val Ek , Boege Karina , Rohr Rudolf P.
Published: May 2017

Ecological interaction networks constantly reorganize as interspecific interactions change across successional stages and environmental gradients. This reorganization can also be associated with the extent to which species change their preference for types of niches available in their local sites. Despite the pervasiveness of these interaction changes, previous studies have revealed that network reorganizations have a minimal or insignificant effect on global descriptors of network architecture, such as connectance, modularity and nestedness. However, little is known about whether these reorganizations may have an effect on community dynamics and composition.

To answer the question above, we study the multi‐year dynamics and reorganization of plant–herbivore interaction networks across secondary successional stages of a tropical dry forest. We develop new quantitative tools based on a structural stability approach to estimate the potential impact of network reorganization on species persistence. Then, we investigate whether this impact can explain the likelihood of persistence of herbivore species in the observed communities.

We find that resident (early‐arriving) herbivore species increase their likelihood of persistence across time and successional stages. Importantly, we demonstrate that, in late successional stages, the reorganization of interactions among resident species has a strong inhibitory effect on the likelihood of persistence of colonizing (late‐arriving) herbivores.

These findings support earlier predictions suggesting that, in mature communities, changes of species interactions can act as community‐control mechanisms (also known as priority effects). Furthermore, our results illustrate that the dynamics and composition of ecological communities cannot be fully understood without attention to their reorganization processes, despite the invariability of global network properties.
Antiarrhythmic properties of ivabradine in an experimental model of Short‐QT‐ Syndrome
Authors: Frommeyer Gerrit , Weller Jan , Ellermann Christian , Kaese Sven , Kochhäuser Simon , Lange Philipp S , Dechering Dirk G , Eckardt Lars
Published: May 2017

The If channel inhibitor ivabradine is recommended for treatment of chronic heart failure. However, ivabradine also inhibits human ether‐a‐go‐go (hERG) mediated potassium currents. The aim of the present study was to assess the electrophysiologic effects of ivabradine in an experimental model of short‐QT‐syndrome. Twelve rabbit hearts were isolated and Langendorff‐perfused. After obtaining baseline data, pinacidil, an IK‐ATP channel opener, was infused (1 μmol/L). Eight endo‐ and epicardial monophasic action potentials and a 12‐lead ECG showed a significant abbreviation of QT interval (−32 ms, P<.05) and shortening of action potential duration at 90% of repolarization (APD90; −22 ms, P<.05). The shortening of ventricular repolarization was accompanied by a reduction of effective refractory period (ERP; −20 ms, P<.05). Thereafter, hearts were additionally treated with ivabradine (5 μmol/L) leading to an increase of QT interval (+31 ms, P<.05), APD90 (+15 ms, P<.05) as well as of ERP (+38 ms, P<.05) and post‐repolarization refractoriness (PRR, +33 ms, P<.05) as compared with sole pinacidil infusion. Under baseline conditions, ventricular fibrillation (VF) was inducible by a standardized pacing protocol including programmed stimulation and burst stimulation in 3 of 12 hearts (6 episodes). After application of 1 μmol/L pinacidil, 6 of 12 hearts were inducible (22 episodes). Additional infusion of 5 μmol/L ivabradine led to a significant suppression of VF. Only two episodes could be induced in 1 of 12 hearts. In the present study ivabradine reversed the electrophysiologic effects of pharmacologically simulated short‐QT syndrome. Ivabradine demonstrated antiarrhythmic properties based on an increase of both ERP and PRR.
Dexmedetomidine protects mice against myocardium ischaemic/reperfusion injury by activating an AMPK/PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway
Authors: Sun Yanjun , Jiang Chuan , Jiang Jun , Qiu Lisheng
Published: May 2017

Acute myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (MIR) injury leads to severe arrhythmias and has a high rate of lethality. In the present study, we aim to determine the effect of dexmedetomidine (Dex) on heart injury parameters following MIR surgery. We examined the effects of Dex on heart function parameters and infarct size following MIR surgery. Proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative products and anti‐oxidative enzymes in the myocardium were measured to evaluate the anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidative effects of Dex. The role of the adenosine 5′‐monophosphate (AMP)‐activated protein kinase (AMPK)/phosphatidylino‐sitol 3‐kinase (PI3k)/Akt/endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway was investigated using their inhibitors. The alteration of haemodynamic parameters, histopathological results, and infarct size caused by MIR was attenuated by Dex. The interleukine‐1 beta (IL‐1β), IL‐6, tumour necrosis factor‐a (TNF‐α) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were all significantly decreased. Anti‐oxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were restored by Dex. Oxidative products8‐OHdG, MDA and protein carbonyl were all decreased by Dex (P<.05). Dex activated AMPK expression, eNOS and Akt phosphorylation. The influence of Dex on cardiac function was reversed by the inhibitors of the eNOS, AMPK and PI3K/Akt pathways. These results indicate that Dex protected the cardiac functional, histological changes, inflammation and oxidative stress induced by MIR. Our results present a novel signalling mechanism that Dex protects MIR injury by activating an AMPK/PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway.
Time–Temperature Management Along the Food Cold Chain: A Review of Recent Developments
Authors: Mercier Samuel , Villeneuve Sebastien , Mondor Martin , Uysal Ismail
Published: May 2017

The cold chain is responsible for the preservation and transportation of perishable foods in the proper temperature range to slow biological decay processes and deliver safe and high‐quality foods to consumers. Studies show that the efficiency of the cold chain is often less than ideal, as temperature abuses above or below the optimal product‐specific temperature range occur frequently, a situation that significantly increases food waste and endangers food safety. In this work, field studies on time–temperature conditions at each critical stage of the cold chain are reviewed to assess the current state of commercial cold chains. Precooling, ground operations during transportation, storage during display at retail and in domestic refrigerators, and commercial handling practices are identified and discussed as the major weaknesses in the modern cold chain. The improvement in efficiency achieved through the measurement, analysis, and management of time–temperature conditions is reviewed, along with the accompanying technical and practical challenges delaying the implementation of such methods. A combination of prospective experimental and modeling research on precooling uniformity, responsive food inventory management systems, and cold chains in developing countries is proposed for the improvement of the cold chain at the global scale.
Genetic engineering of Trichoderma reesei cellulases and their production
Authors: Druzhinina Irina S. , Kubicek Christian P.
Published: May 2017

Lignocellulosic biomass, which mainly consists of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, is the most abundant renewable source for production of biofuel and biorefinery products. The industrial use of plant biomass involves mechanical milling or chipping, followed by chemical or physicochemical pretreatment steps to make the material more susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis. Thereby the cost of enzyme production still presents the major bottleneck, mostly because some of the produced enzymes have low catalytic activity under industrial conditions and/or because the rate of hydrolysis of some enzymes in the secreted enzyme mixture is limiting. Almost all of the lignocellulolytic enzyme cocktails needed for the hydrolysis step are produced by fermentation of the ascomycete Trichoderma reesei (Hypocreales). For this reason, the structure and mechanism of the enzymes involved, the regulation of their expression and the pathways of their formation and secretion have been investigated in T. reesei in considerable details. Several of the findings thereby obtained have been used to improve the formation of the T. reesei cellulases and their properties. In this article, we will review the achievements that have already been made and also show promising fields for further progress.
Scale‐up/Scale‐down of microbial bioprocesses: a modern light on an old issue
Authors: Delvigne Frank , Noorman Henk
Published: May 2017

The bio‐economy is in transit from innovation to commercialization. The bioprocess industry is expected to increasingly deliver bio‐products to the market, in large amounts, at high quality and at competitive cost levels. This requires flawless start‐up of new large‐scale bioprocesses and continuous improvement of running processes. Fermentation scale‐up and operation can benefit from recent advances in three areas: 1. computation‐driven design of scale‐down simulators, 2. omics‐driven metabolic engineering and 3. sensing and understanding of population heterogeneity. Integration of these fields requires a unified computational approach, linked to big data and simulated reality frameworks, of which the contours are becoming visible today.