bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Valence and electronic trap states of manganese in SrTiO3-based colossal permittivity barrier layer capacitors
Authors: Tsuji Kosuke , Chen Wei-Ting , Guo Hanzheng , Chen Xiao-Ming , Lee Tai-Kuang , Lee Wen-Hsi , Randall Clive A.
Published: September 2016

Valence and trap level of manganese in the (Mn, Nb)-doped SrTiO3 internal barrier layer capacitor was revealed by EELS and Q-DLTS, explaining macroscopic properties.
Reply to the ‘Comment on “The size and structure of selected hydrated ions and implications for ion channel selectivity”’ by A. Zavitsas, RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 92771
Authors: Yang Zhong-Hua
Published: September 2016

We believe that in Zavitsas' previous work the assumption of “ideality” on an aqueous solution of an electrolyte conflicts with experimental evidence and the calculation of ion-pair formation equilibrium constants to demonstrate the existence of an ion-pair is artificial.
On chirality induction in the crystalline solid-containing sandwich-type [Ln(α-PW11O39)2]11−polyoxotungstate and proline
Authors: Iijima Jun , Naruke Haruo , Sanji Takanobu
Published: September 2016

For the racemisation, the [Ln(α-PW11O39)2]11−polyanion with light Ln experienced the ‘on-site rotation’ mechanism, while the [Ln(α-PW11O39)2]11−polyanion with heavy Ln followed the “dissociation–association” mechanism.
Integration of a patterned conductive carbon nanotube thin film with an insulating hydrophobic polymer carpet into robust 2D Janus hybrid flexible electronics
Authors: Xiao Peng , Gu Jincui , He Jiang , Wang Shuai , Zhang Jiawei , Huang Youju , Kuo Shiao-Wei , Chen Tao
Published: September 2016

Hydrophobic polymer carpet grafting on 2D CNTs thin films provides a simple electronic packaging strategy for flexible conductive networks on a molecular level.
On channel estimation in vehicular networks
Authors: Abdelgader Abdeldime Mohamed Salih , Feng Shu , Wu Lenan
Published: September 2016

In vehicular ad hoc network (VANET), the accuracy of the channel estimation plays a key role toward obtaining considerable improvement to the physical layer performance. In this study, least square (LS) and minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimation techniques are discussed and their performances in different VANET transmission scenarios are thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, a modified scheme of these techniques to improve the performance of the system and reduce the complexity in such a way that suits VANET communications is developed. Discreet Fourier transform and singular value decomposition techniques are companied with LS and MMSE to develop a channel estimation scheme which suits VANET channel conditions and ensures performance improvement and remarkable complexity reduction. Comprehensive simulations results show that the developed scheme greatly improves the performance of the system compared with LS and substantially reduces the complexity of MMSE.
Almost periodic solutions for a class of linear Schrödinger equations with almost periodic forcing
Authors: Rui Jie , Liu Bingchen , Zhang Jian
Published: September 2016

In this paper, the existence of almost periodic solutions corresponding to full-dimensional invariant tori is shown for a class of linear Schrödinger equations with almost periodic forcing subject to periodic boundary conditions. It is proved via an improved Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser reducibility.
Monte Carlo simulations of morphological transitions in PbTe/CdTe immiscible material systems
Authors: Mińkowski Marcin , Załuska-Kotur Magdalena A. , Turski Łukasz A. , Karczewski Grzegorz
Published: September 2016

The crystal growth of the immiscible PbTe/CdTe multilayer system is analyzed as an example of a self-organizing process. The immiscibility of the constituents leads to the observed morphological transformations such as an anisotropy driven formation of quantum dots and nanowires and to a phase separation at the highest temperatures. The proposed model accomplishes a bulk and surface diffusion together with an anisotropic mobility of the material components. We analyze its properties by kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and show that it is able to reproduce all of the structures observed experimentally during the process of the PbTe/CdTe growth. We show that all of the dynamical processes studied play an important role in the creation of zero-, one-, two-, and, finally, three-dimensional structures. The shape of the structures that are grown is different for relatively thick multilayers, when the bulk diffusion cooperates with the anisotropic mobility, as compared to the annealed structures for which only the isotropic bulk diffusion decides about the process. Finally, it is different again for thin multilayers when the surface diffusion is the most decisive factor. We compare our results with the experimentally grown systems and show that the proposed model explains the diversity of observed structures.
Fundamental absorption edges in heteroepitaxial YBiO3 thin films
Authors: Jenderka Marcus , Richter Steffen , Lorenz Michael , Grundmann Marius
Published: September 2016

The dielectric function of heteroepitaxial YBiO3 grown on a-Al2O3 single crystals via pulsed laser deposition is determined in the spectral range from 0.03 eV to 4.5 eV by a simultaneous modeling of the spectroscopic ellipsometry and optical transmission data of YBiO3 films of different thicknesses. The (111)-oriented YBiO3 films are nominally unstrained and crystallize in a defective fluorite-type structure with a Fm3¯m space group. From the calculated absorption spectrum, a direct electronic bandgap energy of 3.6(1) eV and the signature of an indirect electronic transition around 0.5 eV are obtained. These values provide necessary experimental feedback to previous conflicting electronic band structure calculations predicting either a topologically trivial or a non-trivial insulating ground state in YBiO3.
Time-resolved study of laser initiated shock wave propagation in superfluid 4He
Authors: Garcia Allan , Buelna Xavier , Popov Evgeny , Eloranta Jussi
Published: September 2016

Intense shock waves in superfluid 4He between 1.7 and 2.1 K are generated by rapidly expanding confined plasma from laser ablation of a metal target immersed in the liquid. The resulting shock fronts in the liquid with initial velocities up to ca. Mach 10 are visualized by time-resolved shadowgraph photography. These high intensity shocks decay within 500 ns into less energetic shock waves traveling at Mach 2, which have their lifetime in the microsecond time scale. Based on the analysis using the classical Rankine-Hugoniot theory, the shock fronts created remain in the solid phase up to 1 μs and the associated thermodynamic state appears outside the previously studied region. The extrapolated initial shock pressure of 0.5 GPa is comparable to typical plasma pressures produced during liquid phase laser ablation. A secondary shock originating from fast heat propagation on the metal surface is also observed and a lower limit estimate for the heat propagation velocity is measured as 7 × 104 m/s. In the long-time limit, the high intensity shocks turn into liquid state waves that propagate near the speed of sound.
Factorization and recomposition of molecular wave functions
Authors: Lefebvre R.
Published: September 2016

Some situations in the determination of molecular wave functions require to go beyond the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) approximation, with the wave function written as the product of an electronic wave function depending parametrically on the nuclear coordinates and a nuclear wave function. Such situations are usually treated by combining BO products. This form of the wave function leads to coupled equations which determine the nuclear factors of these products. There is another possibility: writing the exact molecular wave function as a single product having formally the same structure as a BO product. This approach has been at the origin of recent developments. We reconsider this problem with the aim of looking at the solutions of the coupled equations which determine the electronic factor of the factorization scheme. It is shown that these coupled equations can be reduced precisely to those encountered with the usual combination of diabatic BO products.
Limiting efficiencies of GaInP/GaAs/Ge up-conversion systems: Addressing the issue of radiative coupling
Authors: Lan Dongchen , Green Martin A.
Published: September 2016

Recent work proposed up-conversion of sunlight through low-band-gap solar cells in combination with a large-band-gap light-emitting diode (LED), with one possibility being the use of a GaAs/Ge tandem photovoltaic device to drive a GaInP LED. One-sun limiting efficiencies for a GaInP bifacial solar cell with such an up-converter attached to its rear are reported for varying band-gap of GaInP junctions, both when there are radiative couplings between cells in the rear up-converter and when there are not. With a maximum theoretical efficiency of 44%, it is shown that the top cell's band-gap is a trade-off and radiative coupling in the rear up-converter reduces the efficiency, where physical reasons are given as is insight into the practice.
Measurements of nonlinear lensing in a semiconductor disk laser gain sample under optical pumping and using a resonant femtosecond probe laser
Authors: Quarterman A. H. , Mirkhanov S. , Smyth C. J. C. , Wilcox K. G.
Published: September 2016

Accurate characterizations of the nonlinear refractive index of semiconductor disk laser (SDL) gain samples are of critical importance for understanding the behavior of self-mode-locked SDLs. Here we describe measurements of nonlinear lensing in an SDL gain sample for a wide range of optical pump intensities and using a probe which is on resonance with the quantum wells in the SDL gain sample and whose intensity, pulse duration, and spot size are chosen to be similar to those reported in self-mode-locked SDLs. Under these conditions, we determine an effective value of the nonlinear refractive index, n2 = −6.5 × 10−13 cm2/W at zero pump intensity, and find that the value of n2 changes by less than 25% over the range of pump intensities studied. The nonlinear refractive index is measured using a variation on the well-established z-scan technique, which was modified to make it better suited to the measurement of optically pumped samples.
Structural responses of the supersonic turbulent boundary layer to expansions
Authors: Wang Qian-cheng , Wang Zhen-guo , Zhao Yu-xin
Published: September 2016

Structural responses of the supersonic turbulent boundary layer to the expansions induced by a convex wall and a ramp are experimentally investigated. Relaminarization of part of the turbulent boundary layer in the near wall region is clearly visualized, which has been seldom presented before. The relaminarized layers formed over two test models are different. While a thicker relaminarized layer is observed for the ramp, a longer lasting layer is noticed for the convex wall. The structure angle is found to be increased by the expansions. Increases of turbulence scale and boundary layer thickness are observed. The contribution of the bulk dilatation to the boundary layer growth is stronger than that of the centrifugal force.
Manipulation and control of the interfacial polarization in organic light-emitting diodes by dipolar doping
Authors: Jäger Lars , Schmidt Tobias D. , Brütting Wolfgang
Published: September 2016

Most of the commonly used electron transporting materials in organic light-emitting diodes exhibit interfacial polarization resulting from partially aligned permanent dipole moments of the molecules. This property modifies the internal electric field distribution of the device and therefore enables an earlier flat band condition for the hole transporting side, leading to improved charge carrier injection. Recently, this phenomenon was studied with regard to different materials and degradation effects, however, so far the influence of dilution has not been investigated. In this paper we focus on dipolar doping of the hole transporting material 4,4-bis[N-(1-naphthyl)-N-phenylamino]-biphenyl (NPB) with the polar electron transporting material tris-(8-hydroxyquinolate) aluminum (Alq3). Impedance spectroscopy reveals that changes of the hole injection voltage do not scale in a simple linear fashion with the effective thickness of the doped layer. In fact, the measured interfacial polarization reaches a maximum value for a 1:1 blend. Taking the permanent dipole moment of Alq3 into account, an increasing degree of dipole alignment is found for decreasing Alq3 concentration. This observation can be explained by the competition between dipole-dipole interactions leading to dimerization and the driving force for vertical orientation of Alq3 dipoles at the surface of the NPB layer.
Direct observation of light-driven, concerted electron–proton transfer
Authors: Gagliardi Christopher J. , Wang Li , Dongare Prateek , Brennaman M. Kyle , Papanikolas John M. , Meyer Thomas J. , Thompson David W.
Published: September 2016

Significance

Concerted proton-coupled electron transfer (EPT) reactions in which both electrons and protons transfer in tandem are at the heart of many chemical and biological conversions including photosystem II. We report here the direct observation of absorption bands arising from photoEPT transitions, in this case, in H-bonded complexes between
N
-methyl-4,4′-bipyridinium cation and biologically relevant donors including tyrosine. The importance of these observations follows from the earlier experimental observations by Taube and coworkers on intervalence transfer in mixed-valence complexes. The observation of these photoEPT transitions and the appearance of reactive radical products also points to a possible, if inefficient, role in DNA photodamage and, possibly, in the formation of reactive oxygen intermediates.
Nicholas of Amsterdam
Authors: Bos Egbert P.
Published: September 2016

Master Nicholas of Amsterdam was a prominent master of arts in Germany during the first half of the fifteenth century. He composed various commentaries on Aristotle’s works. One of these commentaries is on the logica vetus, the old logic, viz. on Porphyry’s Isagoge and on Aristotle’s Categories and On Interpretation. This commentary is edited and introduced here.
Nicholas is a ‘modernus’ – as opposed to the ‘antiqui’, who were realists – which means that he is a conceptualist belonging to the university tradition that accepted John Buridan (ca. 1300-1360 or 1361) and Marsilius of Inghen (ca. 1340-1396) as its masters. In medieval philosophy, a parallel between thinking and reality is generally upheld. Nicholas makes a sharp distinction between the two; this may be interpreted as a step towards a separation between the two realms, as is common in philosophy in later centuries.
Other characteristics of Nicholas are that he defends the position that science has its place in a proposition, and does not simply follow reality. Furthermore, he emphasizes the part played by individual things.
Fifteenth-century philosophy has hardly been studied, mainly because that century has long been considered unoriginal. Nicholas of Amsterdam certainly deserves the historian’s interest in order to evaluate how medieval philosophy prepared the way for modern philosophy.
Experimentalism as Reciprocal Communication in Contemporary American Poetry
Authors: Siltanen Elina
Published: September 2016

The poems of John Ashbery, Lyn Hejinian and Ron Silliman may seem to offer endless small details of expression, observation, thought and narrative which fail to hang together even from one line to the next. But as Elina Siltanen shows here, this extraordinary flow of uncoordinated detail can stimulate readers to join the poets in a delightful exploration of ordinary language. When readers take a poem in this spirit, they actually begin to read as members of a community: the community not only of themselves and other readers, but also including the poet and other poets, plus all the speakers of the language in which the poem is written. For all these different parties, that language is indeed a shared resource, and the way for readers to get started is simply by recalling or imagining some of the numerous kinds of context in which the given poem’s words-phrases-sentences could, or could not, be successfully used. The rewards for such proactive readers are on the one hand a heightened sense of the subtle interweavings of language and life, and on the other hand a freshly empowered self-confidence. The point being that, within the community of contemporary experimental poetry, poets have no more authority than readers. Rejecting older cultural hierarchies, they present themselves as teasing out the idiomatic serendipities of their own poems together with their readers.
Low accumulation of chlorogenic acids represses reddening during flesh browning in Japanese peach “Okayama PEH7”
Authors: Yokotani Naoki , Uraji Misugi , Hara Miyuki , Hihara Seisuke , Hatanaka Tadashi , Oda Kenji
Published: September 2016

In peaches, fruit flesh browns unattractively after peeling or cutting. A recently developed cultivar, Okayama PEH7, was distinct from other Japanese cultivars, including Okayama PEH8, with respect to its reduced browning potential. Homogenate prepared from Okayama PEH7 flesh had significantly less reddening during the browning reaction. Okayama PEH7 had less soluble phenolic compounds and higher polyphenol oxidase activity than Okayama PEH8. Reduced browning was observed even when phenols prepared from Okayama PEH7 were incubated with crude extract from Okayama PEH8, suggesting that phenols lower the browning potential of Okayama PEH7. In Okayama PEH7, contents of chlorogenic acid and its isomers were about one-tenth compared to Okayama PEH8. Exogenous addition of chlorogenic acid to Okayama PEH7 homogenate increased the browning potential and visibly enhanced reddening. These results indicate that the reduced browning of Okayama PEH7 flesh is due to a defect in chlorogenic acid accumulation.
Russia’s Karabakh policy: new momentum in regional perspective
Authors: Romashov Vadim , Rytövuori-Apunen Helena
Published: September 2016

This article asks what opportunities are available to start untying the persistent deadlock in the Nagorny Karabakh (NK) conflict when we take into account not only the positions of the conflict parties but also the fact that Russia’s strategic interests define its stance on the negotiation process and promote certain conditions for settlement. These conditions recognize Russia’s existing military presence in the region as well as the political and economic influence embedded in its Eurasian integration projects. The article does not advocate any parties’ interests, and it does not claim to present conditions which are acceptable to any of the parties. Instead, it examines how Russia’s interests in the wider region, which includes Turkey and Iran, relate to the basic elements of settlement which have been identified in the Minsk Process as the elaboration of the “Basic Principles”. We argue that understanding how these two action frames are interconnected in the Russian policy argumentation is the key to understanding its approach to conflict settlement in NK. Our main analytical point of departure is to unfold strategic perspectives by examining immediate and strategic goals in the policy argumentation. Empirically, the article concentrates on analysing the policy discourse connected with the major incidents of ceasefire violations in July–August 2014 and April 2016.
TwoPaCo: an efficient algorithm to build the compacted de Bruijn graph from many complete genomes
Authors: Minkin Ilia , Pham Son , Medvedev Paul
Published: September 2016

Motivation

de Bruijn graphs have been proposed as a data structure to facilitate the analysis of related whole genome sequences, in both a population and comparative genomic settings. However, current approaches do not scale well to many genomes of large size (such as mammalian genomes).

Results

In this article, we present TwoPaCo, a simple and scalable low memory algorithm for the direct construction of the compacted de Bruijn graph from a set of complete genomes. We demonstrate that it can construct the graph for 100 simulated human genomes in less than a day and eight real primates in < 2 h, on a typical shared-memory machine. We believe that this progress will enable novel biological analyses of hundreds of mammalian-sized genomes.

Availability and Implementation

Our code and data is available for download from github.com/medvedevgroup/TwoPaCo.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Lower Extremity Limb Salvage: Lessons Learned From 14 Years at War
Authors: Blair James A. , Eisenstein Emmanuel D. , Pierrie Sarah N. , Gordon Wade , Owens Johnny G. , Hsu Joseph R.
Published: September 2016

American survivability during the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan continues to improve, though the rate of extremity injury remains quite high. The decision to proceed with amputation versus limb salvage remains controversial. Exposure to combat wound with severe high-energy lower extremity trauma during the previous 14 years at war has incited important advances in limb salvage technique and rehabilitation.
Point Prevalence Study of Mobilization Practices for Acute Respiratory Failure Patients in the United States
Authors: Jolley Sarah Elizabeth , Moss Marc , Needham Dale M. , Caldwell Ellen , Morris Peter E. , Miller Russell R. , Ringwood Nancy , Anders Megan , Koo Karen K. , Gundel Stephanie E. , Parry Selina M. , Hough Catherine L.
Published: September 2016

Objective:

Early mobility in mechanically ventilated patients is safe, feasible, and may improve functional outcomes. We sought to determine the prevalence and character of mobility for ICU patients with acute respiratory failure in U.S. ICUs.

Design:

Two-day cross-sectional point prevalence study.

Setting:

Forty-two ICUs across 17 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network hospitals.

Patients:

Adult patients (≥ 18 yr old) with acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation.

Interventions:

We defined therapist-provided mobility as the proportion of patient-days with any physical or occupational therapy–provided mobility event. Hierarchical regression models were used to identify predictors of out-of-bed mobility.

Measurements and Main Results:

Hospitals contributed 770 patient-days of data. Patients received mechanical ventilation on 73% of the patient-days mostly (n = 432; 56%) ventilated via an endotracheal tube. The prevalence of physical therapy/occupational therapy–provided mobility was 32% (247/770), with a significantly higher proportion of nonmechanically ventilated patients receiving physical therapy/occupational therapy (48% vs 26%; p ≤ 0.001). Patients on mechanical ventilation achieved out-of-bed mobility on 16% (n = 90) of the total patient-days. Physical therapy/occupational therapy involvement in mobility events was strongly associated with progression to out-of-bed mobility (odds ratio, 29.1; CI, 15.1–56.3; p ≤ 0.001). Presence of an endotracheal tube and delirium were negatively associated with out-of-bed mobility.

Conclusions:

In a cohort of hospitals caring for acute respiratory failure patients, physical therapy/occupational therapy–provided mobility was infrequent. Physical therapy/occupational therapy involvement in mobility was strongly predictive of achieving greater mobility levels in patients with respiratory failure. Mechanical ventilation via an endotracheal tube and delirium are important predictors of mobility progression.
ASDS Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery Fellowship Milestones
Authors: Waldman Abigail , Arndt Kenneth A. , Avram Mathew M. , Brown Mariah R. , Dover Jeffrey S. , Fabi Sabrina G. , Friedmann Daniel P. , Geronemus Roy G. , Goldberg David J. , Goldman Mitchel P. , Green Jeremy B. , Ibrahimi Omar A. , Jones Derek H. , Kilmer Suzanne L. , McDaniel David H. , Obagi Suzan , Ortiz Arisa E. , Rohrer Thomas E. , Taylor Mark B. , Torres Abel , Weinkle Susan H. , Weiss Margaret A. , Weiss Eduardo T. , Weiss Robert A. , Poon Emily , Alam Murad
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

The American Council of Graduate Medical Education, which oversees much of postgraduate medical education in the United States, has championed the concept of “milestones,” standard levels of achievement keyed to particular time points, to assess trainee performance during residency.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a milestones document for the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery (CDS) fellowship program.

METHODS

An ad hoc milestone drafting committee was convened that included members of the ASDS Accreditation Work Group and program directors of ASDS-approved Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery (CDC) fellowship training programs. Draft milestones were circulated through email in multiple rounds until consensus was achieved.

RESULTS

Thirteen milestones were developed in the 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competency areas, with 8 of these being patient-care milestones. Additional instructions for milestone administration more specific to the CDS fellowship than general ACGME instructions were also approved. Implementation of semiannual milestones was scheduled for the fellowship class entering in July 2018.

CONCLUSION

Milestones are now available for CDS fellowship directors to implement in combination with other tools for fellow evaluation.
SWEPT SOURCE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY VALIDATES LAMINA CRIBROSA ANOMALY IN OPTIC DISK PIT
Authors: Sambhav Kumar , Grover Sandeep , Chalam K. V.
Published: September 2016

Purpose:

Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography validates lamina cribrosa anomaly in optic disk pit.

Method:

Observational case report.

Results:

A 25-year-old African American male presented with decreased vision in right eye of 4 days duration. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) for distance in right eye was 20/200 and in left eye was 20/20. Dilated fundus examination of right eye showed serous macular detachment of entire posterior pole along with an optic pit on temporal margin of optic disk. En—face image of the optic disk on Swept source OCT (SS-OCT) confirmed defect in the lamina cribrosa in the right eye.

Conclusion:

Congenital optic disk pit a birth defect in lamina cribrosa is a rare, visually impairing disorder. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) scan showed neurosensory detachment, however, lamina cribrosa defects are not delineated with it. SS-OCT a recent advance in scanning technology allows superior resolution of optic disk and confirms the anomaly of lamina cribrosa.
Posttraumatic Stress and Physical Health Functioning
Authors: Luciano Matthew T. , McDevitt-Murphy Meghan E.
Published: September 2016

Research indicates that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is strongly associated with physical health difficulties, and that social support may be protective for both problems. Social support, however, is often broadly conceptualized. The present analysis explores how Veteran-specific social support (during military deployment and postdeployment) may moderate the relationship between PTSD and physical health functioning. Participants were recruited from a VA Medical Center. Self-report data were analyzed from 63 Veterans (17.46% female; 42.86% white) who had been deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND). Data indicate that military deployment social support moderated the relationship between PTSD and pain (β = 0.02, p = 0.02) whereas postdeployment social support moderated the relationship between PTSD and general health perceptions (β = 0.03, p = 0.01). These findings may be used to better understand the role of support in influencing psychological and physiological processes.
Hematocrit Levels, Blood Testing, and Blood Transfusion in Infants After Heart Surgery*
Authors: Delgado-Corcoran Claudia , Wolpert Katherine H. , Lucas Kathryn , Bodily Stephanie , Presson Angela P. , Bratton Susan L.
Published: September 2016

Objective:

To determine whether judicious blood testing impacts timing or amount of packed RBC transfusions in infants after heart surgery.

Design:

A retrospective study comparing before and after initiation of a quality improvement process.

Setting:

A university-affiliated cardiac ICU at a tertiary care children’s hospital.

Patients:

Infants less than 1 year old with Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery category 4, 5, 6, or d-transposition of great arteries (Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery 3) consecutively treated during 2010 through 2013.

Intervention:

A quality improvement process implemented in 2011 to decrease routine laboratory testing after surgery.

Measurements and Main Results:

Fifty-two infants preintervention and 214 postintervention had similar age, weight, proportion of cyanotic lesions, and surgical complexity. Infants with single versus biventricular physiology were compared separately. The number of laboratory tests per patient adjusted for cardiac ICU length of stay (laboratory tests/patient/day) was significantly lower in postintervention populations for single and biventricular groups (9 vs 15 and 10 vs 15, respectively;p< 0.001). The proportion of single ventricle patients transfused post- and preintervention was not statistically different (72% vs 90%;p= 0.130). Transfusion in the biventricular groups was the same over time (65% vs 65%). Time to first transfusion was significantly longer in the postintervention single ventricle group (4 vs 1 d;p< 0.001), and was not statistically different in the biventricular patients (4 vs 7 d;p= 0.058). The median hematocrit level at first transfusion was significantly lower (37% vs 40%;p= 0.004) postintervention in the cyanotic population, but did not differ in the biventricular group (31% vs 31%;p= 0.840).

Conclusion:

In infants after heart surgery, blood testing targeted to individual needs significantly decreased the number of blood tests, but did not significantly decrease postoperative blood transfusion.
The Influence of Position on Leg Movements and Kicks in Older Infants With Spina Bifida
Authors: Chapman David
Published: September 2016

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency with which infants with lumbar or sacral spina bifida (SB) move their legs or kick when they are 7 months and older while in the supine position, seated in a conventional infant seat (CS), and seated in a specially designed infant seat (SDIS).

Methods:

The spontaneous leg movements of 9 infants with lumbar or sacral SB were videotaped once per month for 4 months in each position.

Results:

Infants generated significantly more leg movements when seated in the SDIS than in the CS and significantly more kicks in the SDIS than in the other 2 positions.

Conclusions:

The movement context influences the ability of older infants with SB to move their legs and to kick.
Technology for Children With Brain Injury and Motor Disability: Executive Summary From Research Summit IV
Authors: Christy Jennifer B. , Lobo Michele A. , Bjornson Kristie , Dusing Stacey C. , Field-Fote Edelle , Gannotti Mary , Heathcock Jill C. , O'Neil Margaret E. , Rimmer James H.
Published: September 2016

Advances in technology show promise as tools to optimize functional mobility, independence, and participation in infants and children with motor disability due to brain injury. Although technologies are often used in adult rehabilitation, these have not been widely applied to rehabilitation of infants and children. In October 2015, the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy sponsored Research Summit IV, “Innovations in Technology for Children With Brain Insults: Maximizing Outcomes.” The summit included pediatric physical therapist researchers, experts from other scientific fields, funding agencies, and consumers. Participants identified challenges in implementing technology in pediatric rehabilitation including accessibility, affordability, managing large data sets, and identifying relevant data elements. Participants identified 4 key areas for technology development: to determine (1) thresholds for learning, (2) appropriate transfer to independence, (3) optimal measurement of subtle changes, and (4) how to adapt to growth and changing abilities.
Effect of Playground Environments on the Physical Activity of Children With Ambulatory Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Pratt Brenda , Hartshorne Nancy S. , Mullens Pam , Schilling Mary Lou , Fuller Sarah , Pisani Emily
Published: September 2016

Purpose:

To compare the effect of 2 different playground environments on the physical activity of children with ambulatory cerebral palsy during their playground play.

Methods:

Five 7- to 8-year-old children with cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Functional Classification System [GMFCS] level II) participated. Using an alternating treatment, single-subject design, stride patterns were obtained using an activity monitor on an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant and noncompliant playground. Visual and statistical analysis of the stride data was used to analyze the effect of the playground environments.

Results:

Four of the 5 participants increased the number of strides on an ADA-compliant playground.

Conclusion:

Children with cerebral palsy (GMFCS II) may benefit from an ADA-compliant playground to increase their physical activity.
A 10-Year Review of Surgical Management of Complicated Peptic Ulcer Disease From a Single Center: Is Laparoscopic Approach the Future?
Authors: Agaba Emmanuel A. , Klair Tarunjeet , Ikedilo Ojinika , Vemulapalli Prathiba
Published: September 2016

Introduction:

The discovery of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) as the culprit in peptic ulcer disease (PUD) has revolutionized its management. Despite the presence of effective drug treatments and an increased understanding of its etiology, the percentage of patients who require emergent surgery for complicated disease remains constant at 7% of hospitalized patients. This study aims at reviewing the incidence of complicated PUD and analyze changes in surgical management.

Patients and Methods:

From January 2002 to September 2012, records of all patients with a clinical or radiologic diagnosis of perforated PUD were evaluated. Short-term and long-term results were assessed with regard to type of surgical intervention. The primary end point was adverse events. Other end points were length of hospital stay, complications, and deaths.

Results:

Included were 400 patients with a median age of 56 years (range, 17 to 89 y). Of these, males made up 70% (n=280), were older and had more comorbidities. Majority of perforations were located in the prepyloric region (80%) and duodenal bulb (20%). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug alone was involved in 50% of cases and in combination with H. pylori in 84%. H. pylori alone occurred in 40% of cases.

Laparoscopic treatment was performed in 48 patients (12%) who remained hemodynamically stable. In the remaining 88% of patients, open approach was used. Simple closure with omentoplasty was performed in 98% and in 2%; definitive anti ulcer procedure was performed. Major complications occurred in 6% with an overall 30-day mortality rate of 2%. Most postoperative morbidity occurred after open approach. One patient who had laparoscopic repair died of other causes unrelated to the gastroduodenal perforation. Among the laparoscopic group, mean hospital stay was 4 days (range, 3 to 7 d), compared with 6 days (5 to 14 d) after open approach.

Conclusions:

Although the incidence of PUD is decreasing, it appears that among our patients, the incidence of complication is rising. Laparoscopic approach offers an alternative treatment with less pain, shorter hospital stay, and improved complications rate.
Fast genome-wide functional annotation through orthology assignment by eggNOG-mapper
Authors: Huerta-Cepas Jaime , Forslund Kristoffer , Szklarczyk Damian , Jensen Lars Juhl , von Mering Christian , Bork Peer
Published: September 2016

Orthology assignment is ideally suited for functional inference. However, because predicting orthology is computationally intensive at large scale, and most pipelines relatively in accessible, less precise homology-based functional transfer is still the default for (meta-)genome annotation. We therefore developed eggNOG-mapper, a tool for functional annotation of large sets of sequences based on fast orthology assignments using precomputed clusters and phylogenies from eggNOG. To validate our method, we benchmarked Gene Ontology predictions against two widely used homology-based approaches: BLAST and InterProScan. Compared to BLAST, eggNOG-mapper reduced by 7% the rate of false positive assignments, and increased by 19% the ratio of curated terms recovered over all terms assigned per protein. Compared to InterProScan, eggNOG-mapper achieved similar proteome coverage and precision, while predicting on average 32 more terms per protein and increasing by 26% the rate of curated terms recovered over total term assignments per protein. Through strict orthology assignments, eggNOG-mapper further renders more specific annotations than possible from domain similarity only (e.g. predicting gene family names). eggNOG-mapper runs ~15x than BLAST and at least 2.5x faster than InterProScan. The tool is available standalone or as an online service athttp://eggnog-mapper.embl.de.
Dynamic forecasting of Zika epidemics using Google Trends
Authors: Teng Yue , Bi Dehua , Xie Guigang , Xie Guigang , Jin Yuan , Lin Baihan , Feng Dan
Published: September 2016

We developed a dynamic forecasting model for Zika virus (ZIKV), based on real-time online search data from Google Trends (GTs). It was designed to provide Zika virus disease (ZVD) surveillance for Health Departments with early warning, and predictions of numbers of infection cases, which would allow them sufficient time to implement interventions. We used correlation data from ZIKV epidemics and Zika-related online search in GTs between 12 February and 25 August 2016 to construct an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model (0, 1, 3) for the dynamic estimation of ZIKV outbreaks. The online search data acted as an external regressor in the forecasting model, and was used with the historical ZVD epidemic data to improve the quality of the predictions of disease outbreaks. Our results showed a strong correlation between Zika-related GTs and the cumulative numbers of reported cases, both confirmed and suspected (bothp<0.001; Pearson Product-Moment Correlation analysis). The predictive cumulative numbers of confirmed and suspected cases increased steadily to reach 148,510 (95% CI: 126,826-170,195) and 602,721 (95% CI: 582,753-622,689), respectively, in 21 October 2016. Integer-valued autoregression provides a useful base predictive model for ZVD cases. This is enhanced by the incorporation of GTs data, confirming the prognostic utility of search query based surveillance. This accessible and flexible dynamic forecast model could be used in the monitoring of ZVD to provide advanced warning of future ZIKV outbreaks.
Insights into the binding mode of MEK type-III inhibitors. A step towards discovering and designing allosteric kinase inhibitors across the human kinome
Authors: Zhao Zheng , Xie Lei , Bourne Philip E.
Published: September 2016

Protein kinases are critical drug targets for treating a large variety of human diseases. Type-I and type-II kinase inhibitors frequently exhibit off-target toxicity or lead to mutation acquired resistance. Two highly specific allosteric type-III MEK-targeted drugs, Trametinib and Cobimetinib, offer a new approach. Thus, understanding the binding mechanism of existing type-III kinase inhibitors will provide insights for designing new type-III kinase inhibitors. In this work we have systematically studied the binding mode of MEK-targeted type-III inhibitors using structural systems pharmacology and molecular dynamics simulation. Our studies provide detailed sequence, structure, interaction-fingerprint, pharmacophore and binding-site information on the binding characteristics of MEK type-III kinase inhibitors. We propose that the helix-folding activation loop is a hallmark allosteric binding site for type-III inhibitors. Subsequently we screened and predicted allosteric binding sites across the human kinome, suggesting other kinases as potential targets suitable for type-III inhibitors. Our findings will provide new insights into the design of potent and selective kinases inhibitors.

Author Summary

Human protein kinases represent a large protein family relevant to many diseases, especially cancers, and have become important drug targets. However, developing the desired selective kinase-targeted inhibitors remain challenging. Kinase allosteric inhibitors provide that opportunity, but, to date, few have been designed other than MEK inhibitors. To more efficiently develop kinase allosteric inhibitors, we systematically studied the binding mode of the MEK type-III allosteric kinase inhibitors using structural system pharmacology and molecular dynamics approaches. New insights into the binding mode and mechanism of type-III inhibitors were revealed that may facilitate the design of new prospective type-III kinase inhibitors.
Larger Numbers Can Impede Adaptation in Asexual Populations despite Entailing Greater Genetic Variation
Authors: Chavhan Yashraj D. , Ali Sayyad Irfan , Dey Sutirth
Published: September 2016

Periodic bottlenecks play a major role in shaping the adaptive dynamics of natural and laboratory populations of asexual microbes. Here we study how they affect the ‘Extent of Adaptation’ (EoA), in such populations.EoA, the average fitness gain relative to the ancestor, is the quantity of interest in a large number of microbial experimental-evolution studies which assume that for any given bottleneck size (N0) and number of generations between bottlenecks (g), the harmonic mean size(HM=N0g) will predict the ensuing evolutionary dynamics. However, there are no theoretical or empirical validations forHMbeing a good predictor ofEoA. Using experimental-evolution withEscherichia coliand individual-based simulations, we show thatHMfails to predictEoA(i.e., higherN0gdoes not lead to higherEoA). This is because although highergallows populations to arrive at superior benefits by entailing increased variation, it also reduces the efficacy of selection, which lowersEoA. We show thatEoAcan be maximized in evolution experiments by either maximizingN0and/or minimizingg. We also conjecture thatN0/gis a better predictor ofEoAthanN0g. Our results call for a re-evaluation of the role of population size in predicting fitness trajectories. They also aid in predicting adaptation in asexual populations, which has important evolutionary, epidemiological and economic implications.
Cullin3–KLHL25 ubiquitin ligase targets ACLY for degradation to inhibit lipid synthesis and tumor progression
Authors: Zhang Cen , Liu Juan , Huang Grace , Zhao Yuhan , Yue Xuetian , Wu Hao , Li Jun , Zhu Junlan , Shen Zhiyuan , Haffty Bruce G. , Hu Wenwei , Feng Zhaohui
Published: September 2016

Increased lipid synthesis is a key characteristic of many cancers that is critical for cancer progression. ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY), a key enzyme for lipid synthesis, is frequently overexpressed or activated in cancer to promote lipid synthesis and tumor progression. Cullin3 (CUL3), a core protein for the CUL3–RING ubiquitin ligase complex, has been reported to be a tumor suppressor and frequently down-regulated in lung cancer. Here, we found that CUL3 interacts with ACLY through its adaptor protein, KLHL25 (Kelch-like family member 25), to ubiquitinate and degrade ACLY in cells. Through negative regulation of ACLY, CUL3 inhibits lipid synthesis, cell proliferation, and xenograft tumor growth of lung cancer cells. Furthermore, ACLY inhibitor SB-204990 greatly abolishes the promoting effect of CUL3 down-regulation on lipid synthesis, cell proliferation, and tumor growth. Importantly, low CUL3 expression is associated with high ACLY expression and poor prognosis in human lung cancer. In summary, our results identify CUL3–KLHL25 ubiquitin ligase as a novel negative regulator for ACLY and lipid synthesis and demonstrate that decreased CUL3 expression is an important mechanism for increased ACLY expression and lipid synthesis in lung cancer. These results also reveal that negative regulation of ACLY and lipid synthesis is a novel and critical mechanism for CUL3 in tumor suppression.
‘Cold cuts’ added to the circadian smorgasbord of regulatory mechanisms
Authors: Green Carla B.
Published: September 2016

In mammals, rhythms in body temperature help to entrain and synchronize circadian rhythms throughout the organism, and the cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP) is one of the mediators of these daily temperature changes. Cirbp mRNA expression is regulated by the daily subtle rhythms in body temperature, and a new study by Gotic and colleagues (pp. 2005–2017) reveals a surprising and novel mechanism that involves temperature-dependent enhancement of splicing efficiency.
Origin of quasi-mosaic effect for symmetric skew planes in a silicon or germanium plate
Authors: Bellucci Valerio , Camattari Riccardo , Paternò Gianfranco , Guidi Vincenzo , Mazzolari Andrea
Published: September 2016

Bent silicon and germanium crystals are used for several modern physics applications, above all for focusing of hard X-rays and for steering of charged particle beams by means of channeling and related coherent phenomena. In particular, anisotropic deformations are effectively exploited for these applications. A typical anisotropic deformation that is used is the quasi-mosaic (QM) curvature. It involves the bending of crystallographic planes that would be otherwise flat in the case of an isotropic medium. Here, the curvature the {110} planes was obtained through the quasi-mosaic effect in the symmetric configuration for the first time. This achievement is important because the {110} family of planes is highly efficient for both the applications mentioned above. Until now, the curvature of {110} planes in the QM configuration has not been used because it vanishes if the direction of the planes is aligned with the applied moment that bends the crystal plate. Indeed, to obtain the curvature of this particular family of crystallographic planes, the 〈110〉 direction has not to be aligned with respect to the imparted moment that bends the plate, i.e. the {110} planes have to be skew planes. Experimental verification of the quasi-mosaic curvature for the {110} planes was provided through hard X-ray diffraction at beamline ID15A of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, showing good agreement with the theoretical expectation.
The crystal structure of 6-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-methylbenzyl)imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole-5-carbaldehyde
Authors: Sowmya A. , Anil Kumar G. N. , Kumar Sujeet , Karki Subhas S.
Published: September 2016

In the title imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole derivative, C19H14ClN3OS, the 4-methylbenzyl and chlorophenyl rings are inclined to the planar imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole moiety (r.m.s. deviation = 0.012 Å) by 64.5 (1) and 3.7 (1)°, respectively. The molecular structure is primarily stabilized by a strong intramolecular C—H...O hydrogen bond, leading to the formation of a pseudo-seven-membered S(7) ring motif, and a short intramolecular C—H...N contact forming an S(5) ring motif. In the crystal, molecules are linked by pairs of C—H...S hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers. The dimers are linked by C—H...O and C—H...π interactions, forming chains propagating along [110].