bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
„Lass doch mal die Pumpe machen“: Hohe Zufriedenheit dank weniger Hypoglykämien bei prädiktiver Hypoglykämieabschaltung – Eine multizentrische Anwendungsbeobachtung des SmartGuard-Algorithmus
Authors: Biester Torben , Remus Kerstin , Holder Martin , Aschemeier Bärbel , Kieninger-Baum Dorothee , Wadien Tanja , Kordonouri Olga , Danne Thomas , Thomas Andreas
Published: July 2017

Einleitung Das System „MiniMed®640G“ verfügt über einen Algorithmus (SmartGuard™) zur prädiktiven Unterbrechung der Insulinzufuhr bei Hypoglykämiegefahr. Auf der Grundlage von Messwerten eines Glukosesensors erfolgt die Abschaltung der Insulinpumpe 30 min bevor ein festgelegter Schwellenwert erreicht wird, und bei Prädiktion stabiler Werte oberhalb der Schwelle oder nach maximal 120 min erfolgt die Wiedereinschaltung.

Methode In einer prospektiven, multizentrischen Anwendungsbeobachtung wurde bei pädiatrischen Patienten die Auswirkung des SmartGuard-Algorithmus auf die Rate an Hypoglykämien und deren Intensität (AUC und Zeit < 70 mg/dl) untersucht. Dazu wurden die Ergebnisse aus zwei konsekutiven Phasen verglichen: SuP ohne Hypoglykämieabschaltung über 2 Wochen und SuP mit SmartGuard über 6 Wochen. Der „Grenzwert Niedrig“ wurde dabei auf 70 mg/dl (3,9 mmol/l) festgelegt. Weiterhin wurden die Teilnehmer mithilfe eines 32-Item-Fragebogens (Likert-Skala, 1: keine Zustimmung, 7: volle Zustimmung) zu ihrer Zufriedenheit befragt.

Ergebnisse Eingeschlossen waren 24 Patienten (Alter: 11,57 ± 5,12 Jahre, Diabetesdauer: 7,51 ± 4,19 Jahre, CSII: 6,36 ± 4,38 Jahre, CGM: 0,94 ± 2,02 Jahre, HbA1c: 7,38 ± 0,65 %, BMI: 19,31 ± 2,50 kg/m2; Mittelwert ± Standardabweichung), von denen 18 die Studienfestlegungen exakt einhielten, bei denen infolgedessen beide Phasen nach Protokoll verglichen werden konnten.

Im Mittel wurden 3,1 ± 1 prädiktive Unterbrechungen/Tag festgestellt; die mittlere Unterbrechungsdauer betrug 59 ± 7 min/Tag.

Im Durchschnitt ergaben sich minimale Glukosewerte während der Abschaltung von 85 ± 14 mg/dl. Im Vergleich zur SuP verringerten sich unter SmartGuard: die Zahl der Ereignisse ≤ 70 mg/dl (1,02 ± 0,52 auf 0,72 ± 0,36; p = 0,027), die AUC < 70 mg/dl (0,76 ± 0,73 auf 0,38 ± 0,24; p = 0,027), die Zeit/Tag ≤ 70 mg/dl (73 ± 56 min auf 31 ± 22 min; p = 0,003); dabei zeigte sich ein nicht signifikanter Anstieg der mittleren Glukose. Es wurden keine schweren Hypoglykämien registriert. Eine Stunde nach Wiederanschaltung zeigten sich mit KH-Aufnahme mittlere Sensorwerte von 190 ± 32 mg/dl, ohne KH-Aufnahme 140 ± 10 mg/dl.

Die Zufriedenheit und die Bereitschaft der Anwender bzw. ihrer Eltern, das System weiter zu nutzen, nahmen im Lauf der Studie signifikant (p = 0,049) zu.

Diskussion Die Studienergebnisse zeigen, dass die Anwendung des Systems das Risiko für Hypoglykämien signifikant reduziert und pädiatrischen Patienten eine hohe Sicherheit und Zufriedenheit bietet. Dabei werden die besten Ergebnisse erzielt, wenn die Anwender nicht in die automatische Abschaltung eingreifen. Damit alle Nutzer das notwendige Vertrauen erlangen, sollte dieses Wissen Eingang in die Patientenschulung finden.
Terpenoids from the Oleo-Gum-Resin of Boswellia serrata and Their Antiplasmodial Effects In Vitro
Authors: Greve Hippolyt , Kaiser Marcel , Brun Reto , Schmidt Thomas
Published: July 2017

In the course of our ongoing search for new natural products as leads against protozoal diseases, the dichloromethane extract of Indian frankincense, the oleo-gum-resin obtained from Boswellia serrata, showed in vitro activity against Plasmodium falciparum. Bioactivity-guided fractionation led to the isolation of eight diterpenes: (1S,3E,7E,11R)-verticilla-3,7,12(18)-triene (1), cembrene A (2), serratol (3), 1S,3E,7R,8R,11E-7,8-epoxy-cembra-3,11-dien-1-ol (4), incensole oxide (5), rel (1S,3R,7E,11S,12R)-1,12-epoxy-4-methylenecembr-7-ene-3, 11-diol (6), isoincensole oxide (7), and isodecaryiol (8). Furthermore, 10 triterpenes, namely, oleanolic acid (9), 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (10), 3-epi-neoilexonol (11), uvaol (12), β-boswellic aldehyde (13), 5α-tirucalla-8,24-dien-3α-ol (14), isoflindissone lactone (15), isoflindissol lactone (16), rel (8R,9S,20R)-tirucall-24-ene-3β,20-diol (17), and rel (3α,8R, 9S,20R,24S)-20,24-epoxytirucalla-3,25-diol (18) as well as the sesquiterpene β-bourbonene (19), the monoterpene carvacrol (20) and the phenyl propanoids methyleugenol (21), and p-methoxycinnamaldehyde (22) were isolated. All compounds were identified by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic measurements. Compounds 6, 11, and 16–18 are described for the first time. Compounds 13 – 15 are isolated as natural products for the first time, compound 8 for the first time from a plant. Antiplasmodial IC50 values and cytotoxicity against L6 rat skeletal myoblasts were determined. Isoflindissone lactone (15) was the most active compound with an IC50 of 2.2 µM against P. falciparum and a selectivity index of 18.
A silicon nanowire heater and thermometer
Authors: Zhao Xingyan , Dan Yaping
Published: July 2017

In the thermal conductivity measurements of thermoelectric materials, heaters and thermometers made of the same semiconducting materials under test, forming a homogeneous system, will significantly simplify fabrication and integration. In this work, we demonstrate a high-performance heater and thermometer made of single silicon nanowires (SiNWs). The SiNWs are patterned out of a silicon-on-insulator wafer by CMOS-compatible fabrication processes. The electronic properties of the nanowires are characterized by four-probe and low temperature Hall effect measurements. The I-V curves of the nanowires are linear at small voltage bias. The temperature dependence of the nanowire resistance allows the nanowire to be used as a highly sensitive thermometer. At high voltage bias, the I-V curves of the nanowire become nonlinear due to the effect of Joule heating. The temperature of the nanowire heater can be accurately monitored by the nanowire itself as a thermometer.
Plasma-assisted synthesis and study of structural and magnetic properties of Fe/C core shell
Authors: Shinde K. P. , Ranot M. , Choi C. J. , Kim H. S. , Chung K. C.
Published: July 2017

Pure and carbon-encapsulated iron nanoparticles with an average diameter of 25 nm were synthesized by using the DC plasma arc discharge method. Fe core nanoparticles were encapsulated with carbon layer, which is acting as protection layer against both oxidation and chemical reaction. The morphology and the Fe/C core/shell structure of the nanoparticles were studied by using field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The x-ray diffraction study showed that the α-Fe phase exists with γ-Fe as an impurity. The studied samples have been interrelated with the variation of saturation magnetization, remanent magnetization and coercive field with the amount of carbon coating. The pure α-Fe sample shows saturation magnetization = 172 emu/g, and coercive field = 150 Oe, on the other hand few layer carbon coated α-Fe sample shows saturation magnetization =169 emu/g with higher coercive field 398 Oe.
Current distribution in conducting nanowire networks
Authors: Kumar Ankush , Vidhyadhiraja N. S. , Kulkarni Giridhar U.
Published: July 2017

Conducting nanowire networks find diverse applications in solar cells, touch-screens, transparent heaters, sensors, and various related transparent conducting electrode (TCE) devices. The performances of these devices depend on effective resistance, transmittance, and local current distribution in these networks. Although, there have been rigorous studies addressing resistance and transmittance in TCE, not much attention is paid on studying the distribution of current. Present work addresses this compelling issue of understanding current distribution in TCE networks using analytical as well as Monte-Carlo approaches. We quantified the current carrying backbone region against isolated and dangling regions as a function of wire density (ranging from percolation threshold to many multiples of threshold) and compared the wired connectivity with those obtained from template-based methods. Further, the current distribution in the obtained backbone is studied using Kirchhoff's law, which reveals that a significant fraction of the backbone (which is believed to be an active current component) may not be active for end-to-end current transport due to the formation of intervening circular loops. The study shows that conducting wire based networks possess hot spots (extremely high current carrying regions) which can be potential sources of failure. The fraction of these hot spots is found to decrease with increase in wire density, while they are completely absent in template based networks. Thus, the present work discusses unexplored issues related to current distribution in conducting networks, which are necessary to choose the optimum network for best TCE applications.
Evidence of nuclear fusion neutrons in an extremely small plasma focus device operating at 0.1 Joules
Authors: Soto Leopoldo , Pavéz Cristián , Moreno José , Altamirano Luis , Huerta Luis , Barbaglia Mario , Clausse Alejandro , Mayer Roberto E.
Published: July 2017

We report on D-D fusion neutron emission in a plasma device with an energy input of only 0.1 J, within a range where fusion events have been considered very improbable. The results presented here are the consequence of scaling rules we have derived, thus being the key point to assure the same energy density plasma in smaller devices than in large machines. The Nanofocus (NF)—our device—was designed and constructed at the P4 Lab of the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission. Two sets of independent measurements, with different instrumentation, were made at two laboratories, in Chile and Argentina. The neutron events observed are 20σ greater than the background. The NF plasma is produced from a pulsed electrical discharge using a submillimetric anode, in a deuterium atmosphere, showing empirically that it is, in fact, possible to heat and compress the plasma. The strong evidence presented here stretches the limits beyond what was expected. A thorough understanding of this could possibly tell us where the theoretical limits actually lie, beyond conjectures. Notwithstanding, a window is thus open for low cost endeavours for basic fusion research. In addition, the development of small, portable, safe nonradioactive neutron sources becomes a feasible issue.
Solution of the nonrelativistic wave equation using the tridiagonal representation approach
Authors: Alhaidari A. D.
Published: July 2017

We choose a complete set of square integrable functions as a basis for the expansion of the wavefunction in configuration space such that the matrix representation of the nonrelativistic time-independent linear wave operator is tridiagonal and symmetric. Consequently, the matrix wave equation becomes a symmetric three-term recursion relation for the expansion coefficients of the wavefunction. The recursion relation is then solved exactly in terms of orthogonal polynomials in the energy. Some of these polynomials are not found in the mathematics literature. The asymptotics of these polynomials give the phase shift for the continuous energy scattering states and the spectrum for the discrete energy bound states. Depending on the space and boundary conditions, the basis functions are written in terms of either the Laguerre or Jacobi polynomials. The tridiagonal requirement limits the number of potential functions that yield exact solutions of the wave equation. Nonetheless, the class of exactly solvable problems in this approach is larger than the conventional class (see, for example, Table XII in the text). We also give very accurate results for cases where the wave operator matrix is not tridiagonal but its elements could be evaluated either exactly or numerically with high precision.
Scattering for a 3D coupled nonlinear Schrödinger system
Authors: Farah Luiz Gustavo , Pastor Ademir
Published: July 2017

We consider a three-dimensional coupled cubic nonlinear Schrödinger system appearing in nonlinear optics. If (P, Q) is a ground state solution, we show that for any initial data (u0, v0) in H1(R3)×H1(R3) satisfying M(u0,v0)A(u0,v0)<M(P,Q)A(P,Q) and M(u0,v0)E(u0,v0)<M(P,Q)E(P,Q), where M(u, v) and E(u, v) are the mass and energy (invariant quantities) associated with the system, the corresponding solution is global in H1(R3)×H1(R3) and scatters. Our approach is in the same spirit of Duyckaerts, Holmer, and Roudenko [Math. Res. Lett. 15, 1233–1250 (2008)], where the authors considered the 3D cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation.
Wavelength scaling of silicon laser ablation in picosecond regime
Authors: Sikora A. , Grojo D. , Sentis M.
Published: July 2017

Single pulse laser ablation of silicon has been investigated at 343, 515, and 1030 nm using a laser pulse duration of 50 ps. In this large spectral range, ablation thresholds of silicon vary from 0.01 to 0.83 J/cm2, confirming a strong dependence on the wavelength. By solving the free-carrier density rate equation at threshold conditions, we show that band-to-band linear absorption dominates energy deposition at 343 and 515 nm, whereas at 1030 nm, the energy leading to ablation is primarily absorbed by the generated free-carriers. This allows us to determine the relevant criteria to derive a simple model predicting the wavelength dependence of the ablation threshold in this regime. We obtain an excellent agreement between experimental measurements and calculations by simply considering an averaged energy density required in the absorption depth for surface ablation and accounting for the laser-induced variations of the important thermophysical parameters. On the basis of this analysis, we discuss the optimal wavelength and fluence conditions for maximum removal rate, ablation efficiency, and accuracy. Despite the difference in mechanisms at the different wavelengths, we find that the maximal efficiency remains at around 7 times the ablation threshold fluence for all investigated wavelengths. This work provides guidelines for high-quality and efficient micromachining of silicon in the scarcely explored picosecond regime, while new picosecond sources offer numerous advantages for real throughput industrial applications.
Third nearest neighbor parameterized tight binding model for graphene nano-ribbons
Authors: Tran Van-Truong , Saint-Martin Jérôme , Dollfus Philippe , Volz Sebastian
Published: July 2017

The existing tight binding models can very well reproduce the ab initio band structure of a 2D graphene sheet. For graphene nano-ribbons (GNRs), the current sets of tight binding parameters can successfully describe the semi-conducting behavior of all armchair GNRs. However, they are still failing in reproducing accurately the slope of the bands that is directly associated with the group velocity and the effective mass of electrons. In this work, both density functional theory and tight binding calculations were performed and a new set of tight binding parameters up to the third nearest neighbors including overlap terms is introduced. The results obtained with this model offer excellent agreement with the predictions of the density functional theory in most cases of ribbon structures, even in the high-energy region. Moreover, this set can induce electron-hole asymmetry as manifested in results from density functional theory. Relevant outcomes are also achieved for armchair ribbons of various widths as well as for zigzag structures, thus opening a route for multi-scale atomistic simulation of large systems that cannot be considered using density functional theory.
A novel high-temperature carbon-based superconductor: B-doped Q-carbon
Authors: Bhaumik Anagh , Sachan Ritesh , Narayan Jagdish
Published: July 2017

Following a brief report on high-temperature superconductivity in B-doped Q-carbon [Bhaumik et al., ACS Nano 11(6), 5351–5357 (2017)], we present detailed structure-property correlations to understand the origin of superconductivity in strongly bonded lightweight materials and methods to further enhance the superconducting transition temperature (Tc). Nanosecond melting of carbon in a super undercooled state and rapid quenching result in a strongly bonded unique phase of B-doped Q-carbon. The temperature-dependent resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate type II superconductivity in this material with a transition temperature of 36.0 ± 0.5 K and an upper critical field of 5.4 T at ∼0 K. It has also been shown that in B-doped Q-carbon, the upper critical magnetic field (Hc2(T)) follows Hc2(0) [1-(T/Tc)2.1] temperature dependence and is consistent with the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer formalism. In the present study, B-doped Q-carbon thin films are formed on sapphire substrates by employing pulsed laser annealing (PLA) using a nanosecond excimer laser. This process involves the rapid quenching of highly undercooled melt of homogenously mixed B and C. Through the structure-property correlation measurements in B-doped Q-carbon, we estimate a higher electronic density of states near the Fermi level. Higher density of states near the Fermi-level along with higher Debye temperature and phonon frequency are responsible for the enhanced Tc. As a result of rapid melting and quenching, we can achieve 17.0 ± 1.0 or higher atomic % of B in the electrically active sites of Q-carbon which leads to the formation of shallow electronic states near the valence band maximum. From the critical current density versus field moments, the value of critical current density (Jc (2T)) in B-doped Q-carbon at 21 K is calculated as 4.3 × 107 A cm−2, which indicates that this novel material can be used for the persistent mode of operation in MRI and nuclear magnetic resonance applications. This discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in B-doped amorphous Q-carbon shows that the non-equilibrium synthesis technique using the super undercooling process can be used to fabricate materials with greatly enhanced physical properties.
Increased mobility and on/off ratio in organic field-effect transistors using low-cost guanine-pentacene multilayers
Authors: Shi Wei , Zheng Yifan , Taylor André D. , Yu Junsheng , Katz Howard E.
Published: July 2017

Layer-by-layer deposited guanine and pentacene in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) is introduced. Through adjusting the layer thickness ratio of guanine and pentacene, the tradeoff of two electronic parameters in OFETs, charge carrier mobility and current on/off ratio, was controlled. The charge mobility was enhanced by depositing pentacene over and between guanine layers and by increasing the proportion of pentacene in the layer-by-layer system, while the current on/off ratio was increased via the decreased off current induced by the guanine layers. The tunable device performance was mainly ascribed to the trap and dopant neutralizing properties of the guanine layers, which would decrease the density of free hydroxyl groups in the OFETs. Furthermore, the cost of the devices could be reduced remarkably via the adoption of low-cost guanine.
Many-body computer simulation models for alkali-metal ion-water interactions
Authors: Hendricks-Sturrup Rachele
Published: July 2017

Scientists Describe Molecular Interactions Using a Novel Many-Body Potential Energy Function Computer Simulation Model.
Real-time monitoring of the structure of ultrathin Fe3O4 films during growth on Nb-doped SrTiO3(001)
Authors: Kuschel O. , Spiess W. , Schemme T. , Rubio-Zuazo J. , Kuepper K. , Wollschläger J.
Published: July 2017

In this work, thin magnetite films were deposited on SrTiO3 via reactive molecular beam epitaxy at different substrate temperatures. The growth process was monitored in-situ during deposition by means of x-ray diffraction. While the magnetite film grown at 400 °C shows a fully relaxed vertical lattice constant already in the early growth stages, the film deposited at 270 °C exhibits a strong vertical compressive strain and relaxes towards the bulk value with increasing film thickness. Furthermore, a lateral tensile strain was observed under these growth conditions although the inverse behavior is expected due to the lattice mismatch of −7.5%. Additionally, the occupancy of the A and B sublattices of magnetite with tetrahedral and octahedral sites was investigated showing a lower occupancy of the A sites compared to an ideal inverse spinel structure. The occupation of A sites decreases for a higher growth temperature. Thus, we assume a relocation of the iron ions from tetrahedral sites to octahedral vacancies forming a deficient rock salt lattice.
A forming-free bipolar resistive switching behavior based on ITO/V2O5/ITO structure
Authors: Wan Zhenni , Darling Robert B. , Majumdar Arka , Anantram M. P.
Published: July 2017

Forming-free bipolar resistive switching behavior in an ITO/V2O5/ITO structure is observed. While the bottom ITO layer functions as a common ground electrode, the top ITO layer is an active element and used as an oxygen reservoir, with an additional metal electrode patterned on its top for making contact. In contrast to typical metal/transition metal oxide/metal based resistive memories, our device exhibits a low resistance state in its virgin state and is switched to a high resistance state when a forward bias of ∼+2.5 V is applied. The device can be reset to its original state at a reverse bias of ∼–1.5 V. A noticeable decrease in switching voltage with a reduced top contact area is observed, indicating a strong electric field enhanced switching mechanism. Different from the widely seen conductive filament mechanism in bipolar switching, we explain the switching behavior by the migration of oxygen ions at the top ITO/V2O5 interface. When oxygen ions are extracted to the ITO side, an interfacial layer with reduced oxidation states is formed and acts as a Schottky barrier that suppresses the current through the whole device. The results suggest future applications in low power, high speed integrated non-volatile memories.
Electrochemical characterization of GaN surface states
Authors: Winnerl Andrea , Garrido Jose A. , Stutzmann Martin
Published: July 2017

In this work, we present a systematic study of the electrochemical properties of metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and hybrid vapor phase epitaxy grown n-type GaN in aqueous electrolytes. For this purpose, we perform cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy measurements over a wide range of potentials and frequencies, using a pure aqueous electrolyte and adding two different types of redox couples, as well as applying different surface treatments to the GaN electrodes. For Ga-polar GaN electrodes, the charge transfer to an electrolyte is dominated by surface states, which are not related to dislocations and are independent of the specific growth technique. These surface states can be modified by the surface treatment; they are generated by etching in HCl and are passivated by oxidation. Different surface defect states are present on N-polar GaN electrodes which do not significantly contribute to the charge transfer across the GaN/electrolyte interface.
Out of plane superconducting Nb/Cu/Ni/Cu/Co triplet spin-valves
Authors: Feng Z. , Robinson J. W. A. , Blamire M. G.
Published: July 2017

The critical temperature of a triplet superconducting spin valve depends on the effectiveness of the conversion of singlet pairs in the superconductor into triplet pairs which can penetrate a ferromagnet and so drive a strong proximity effect. Here, we compare the out-of plane field dependence of the critical temperature in transition metal triplet spin valves with otherwise equivalent samples in which the singlet-triplet converting spin mixer ferromagnet layer is omitted. We report a significant field-dependent difference between the samples, which is consistent with a magnetisation orientation dependent spin mixing efficiency in the spin valve.
Magnetic switching of ferromagnetic materials with a single femtosecond laser pulse
Authors: Kim Meeri
Published: July 2017

Researchers offer a method for reversal of magnetization in ferromagnetic materials with one laser pulse.
Utilisation of a mix of powdered oils as fat supplement in nursery- and growing-pig diets
Authors: Sá R. , Gandarillas M. , Schinckel A. P. , Kuppenheim D. , Salgado J. , Cox C. M. , Larraín R. E. , Vargas-Bello-Pérez E.
Published: July 2017

Two experiments were conducted to challenge nursery and growing pigs to increased levels of dietary fat (5–10% as fed), using a crystallised powdered oil mix (CPOM), produced by a modified freeze-drying process. Growth performance of nursery pigs was determined and a digestibility trial was also conducted with growing pigs (Experiment 2). The CPOM was compared, at similar levels of lipid inclusion (10% total lipids), with other fat sources commonly used in swine diet, namely soybean oil (SBO) and hydrogenated palm oil. For the growth assay (Experiment 1), the CPOM was prepared and added at different levels (0%, 2.6% and 3.8%) commonly used in commercial diets (Phase 1–4 diets). Seventy-five weaning pigs (28 days of age) were housed in 15 pens (5 pigs per pen) and randomly assigned into the three dietary treatments until 70 days of age. Growth performance and feed utilisation were compared weekly among experimental groups. The use of CPOM improved average daily gain (~60%), and increased average daily feed intake by 40% and 50% at the 2.6% and 3.8% CPOM levels respectively. In the digestibility trial (Experiment 2), pigs fed with 5% incorporation of CPOM (10% of total lipid content) had digestibility of energy and ether extract similar to those fed the SBO-supplemented diet, although the SBO diet had a significantly greater polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration. The powdered crystallisation process of the CPOM fat allowed an equivalent digestibility of this fat source with more saturated fatty acids, and the physical-property effect of this processed oil source on apparent total-tract digestibility should be further studied.
Listing and impressionism in Charles Dickens’s description of Genoa in Pictures from Italy
Authors: Short Mick
Published: July 2017

This chapter examines a subset of representative list constructions in Dickens’s description of Genoa. Such constructions comprise nearly 20% of the text and those examined in detail are varied in type, long, complex and contain significant deviations from the norm. This linguistic complexity is difficult for readers to process and leads us to infer analogically the mind-set of the first-person narrator-observer behind the text, thus providing a window on how readers interact cognitively with text. In context, the extraordinary character of the lists leads to the impression that Dickens’s description of Genoa is not a standard travelogue description but, rather, an impressionist evocation (parallel to the impressionist movement in visual art) of his initial mental struggle in coming to terms with what, for him, is the overwhelming variety and unusualness of Genoa. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the relation between linguistic and cognitive accounts of reader-text interaction.
The poems of Edward Thomas
Authors: Goatly Andrew
Published: July 2017

As an ecostylistics project locating Edward Thomas within the poetic tradition of Romantic Ecology, this chapter uses Systemic Functional Grammar to analyse nature-referring noun phrases in his Collected Poems. Nature is represented as active, the categories WATER, WEATHER, MONTHS/SEASONS, LIGHT/DARK, TREES, BIRDS providing the most important Actors and Sayers. Thomas deliberately blurs the human-natural boundary through activation of Tokens/Existents, personification and co-ordination of the human and non-human. The chapter also examines the use of imagery/symbolism, in relation to Graham Hough’s (1961) typology of literary genres. Thomas displays the whole gamut of subtle differences on the simile-literal comparison continuum, while telescoping the literal and metaphorical through literalisation. Examination of individual poems illustrates this metaphorical blurring of the abstract ineffable theme and the repeated literal description. The ineffability is reflected in quantitative data on negatives, indeterminate pronouns, and agentless passives, pointing to Thomas’s emphasis on the inadequacy of human language, contrasted with birdsong. An attempt is made to relate this imagistic style to his psychology, patriotism and poetic creed.
A social landscape
Authors: Douthwaite John
Published: July 2017

The beginning of Edith Wharton’s short story “The day of the funeral” rightly lays claim to being one of the most powerful openings in the genre. The first two paragraphs (139 words) foreshadow the content and tone of the entire story, a critique of patriarchal society. They also exemplify the richly implicational mode of writing employed by Wharton, displaying the myriad of foregrounding devices the author uses to achieve her goals, one major objective being that of positioning the reader to evaluate negatively the main (male) character, the ‘representative’ of the callous male world portrayed by the story. A close reading of the first two paragraphs is offered to illustrate these points.
Short-Term Repeatability of Noninvasive Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity Assessment: Comparison Between Methods and Devices
Authors: Grillo Andrea , Parati Gianfranco , Rovina Matteo , Moretti Francesco , Salvi Lucia , Gao Lan , Baldi Corrado , Sorropago Giovanni , Faini Andrea , Millasseau Sandrine C , Scalise Filippo , Carretta Renzo , Salvi Paolo
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an indirect index of arterial stiffness and an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Consistency of PWV assessment over time is thus an essential feature for its clinical application. However, studies providing a comparative estimate of the reproducibility of PWV across different noninvasive devices are lacking, especially in the elderly and in individuals at high cardiovascular risk.

METHODS

Aimed at filling this gap, short-term repeatability of PWV, estimated with 6 different devices (Complior Analyse, PulsePen-ETT, PulsePen-ET, SphygmoCor Px/Vx, BPLab, and Mobil-O-Graph), was evaluated in 102 high cardiovascular risk patients hospitalized for suspected coronary artery disease (72 males, 65 ± 13 years). PWV was measured in a single session twice, at 15-minute interval, and its reproducibility was assessed though coefficient of variation (CV), coefficient of repeatability, and intraclass correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

The CV of PWV, measured with any of these devices, was <10%. Repeatability was higher with cuff-based methods (BPLab: CV = 5.5% and Mobil-O-Graph: CV = 3.4%) than with devices measuring carotid-femoral PWV (Complior: CV = 8.2%; PulsePen-TT: CV = 8.0%; PulsePen-ETT: CV = 5.8%; and SphygmoCor: CV = 9.5%). In the latter group, PWV repeatability was lower in subjects with higher carotid-femoral PWV. The differences in PWV between repeated measurements, except for the Mobil-O-Graph, did not depend on short-term variations of mean blood pressure or heart rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that the short-term repeatability of PWV measures is good but not homogenous across different devices and at different PWV values. These findings, obtained in patients at high cardiovascular risk, may be relevant when evaluating the prognostic importance of PWV.
Towards clinically more relevant dissection of patient heterogeneity via survival-based Bayesian clustering
Authors: Ahmad Ashar , Fröhlich Holger
Published: July 2017

Motivation

Discovery of clinically relevant disease sub-types is of prime importance in personalized medicine. Disease sub-type identification has in the past often been explored in an unsupervised machine learning paradigm which involves clustering of patients based on available-omics data, such as gene expression. A follow-up analysis involves determining the clinical relevance of the molecular sub-types such as that reflected by comparing their disease progressions. The above methodology, however, fails to guarantee the separability of the sub-types based on their subtype-specific survival curves.

Results

We propose a new algorithm, Survival-based Bayesian Clustering (SBC) which simultaneously clusters heterogeneous-omics and clinical end point data (time to event) in order to discover clinically relevant disease subtypes. For this purpose we formulate a novel Hierarchical Bayesian Graphical Model which combines a Dirichlet Process Gaussian Mixture Model with an Accelerated Failure Time model. In this way we make sure that patients are grouped in the same cluster only when they show similar characteristics with respect to molecular features across data types (e.g. gene expression, mi-RNA) as well as survival times. We extensively test our model in simulation studies and apply it to cancer patient data from the Breast Cancer dataset and The Cancer Genome Atlas repository. Notably, our method is not only able to find clinically relevant sub-groups, but is also able to predict cluster membership and survival on test data in a better way than other competing methods.

Availability and implementation

Our R-code can be accessed as https://github.com/ashar799/SBC.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Cent rondeaulx | et cinq avec
(
c
. 1510): le premier roman épistolaire français?
Authors: Mounier Pascale
Published: July 2017

Composés vers 1510, les
Cent rondeaulx | Et cinq avec
sont une œuvre singulière, troublante tant par le mystère relatif qui plane sur ses conditions d’écriture que par les contours imprécis de sa forme. Le texte anonyme, au titre fluctuant, a été diffusé en manuscrit et à partir des années 1520 a circulé parallèlement en imprimé, sous forme indépendante ou au sein de recueils de rondeaux. Dans une perspective de poétique des genres il faut voir la part de l’ancien et du nouveau qui caractérise ce texte encore largement méconnu. À la différence de ce qui se produit dans le dit et le dialogue amoureux médiévaux, le récit est ici complètement intégré dans les rondeaux et délégué à deux personnages, qui s’envoient alternativement des lettres. Le dosage spécifique de la conversation écrite, de la narration et de la complainte amoureuse rapproche l’œuvre du roman épistolaire et en fait même à notre sens la première manifestation. L’examen des gradients de typicalité de l’œuvre permet plus largement de réfléchir aux critères définitoires d’un sous-genre dont on tend abusivement à penser qu’il est né au dix-septième siècle.
Turning Over the Hourglass
Authors: Shields Richard K.
Published: July 2017

Richard K Shields, PT, PhD, has contributed to the physical therapy profession as a clinician, scientist, and academic leader (Fig. 1).

Dr Shields is professor and department executive officer of the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at the University of Iowa. He completed a certificate in physical therapy from the Mayo Clinic, an MA degree in physical therapy, and a PhD in exercise science from the University of Iowa.

Dr Shields developed a fundamental interest in basic biological principles while at the Mayo Clinic. As a clinician, he provided acute inpatient care to individuals with spinal cord injury. This clinical experience prompted him to pursue a research career exploring the adaptive plasticity of the human neuromusculoskeletal systems. As a scientist and laboratory director, he developed a team of professionals who understand the entire disablement model, from molecular signaling to the psychosocial factors that impact health-related quality of life. His laboratory has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2000 with more than ${\$}$15 million in total investigator-initiated support. He has published 110 scientific papers and presented more than 300 invited lectures.

A past president of the Foundation for Physical Therapy, Dr Shields is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and has been honored with APTA’s Marian Williams Research Award, the Charles Magistro Service Award, and the Maley Distinguished Research Award. He also received the University of Iowa's Distinguished Mentor Award, Collegiate Teaching Award, and the Regents Award for Faculty Excellence.

Dr Shields is a member of the National Advisory Board for Rehabilitation Research and serves as the liaison member on the Council to the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development.
Risk factor profile of different clinical manifestations of cerebral small vessel disease - data from SHEF-CSVD Study
Authors: Staszewski J. , Skrobowska E. , Piusińska-Macoch R. , Brodacki B. , Stępień A.
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

Little is known of the mechanisms of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Both atherosclerosis or non-atherosclerotic diffuse arteriopathy are involved.

METHODS

A single-center, prospective, case-control study was performed in consecutive patients with different CSVD manifestations. The study group consisted of 205 patients: 52 with lacunar stroke (LS), 20 with subcortical hemorrhagic stroke (HS), 50 with vascular dementia (VaD), 28 with vascular parkinsonism (VaP) and 55 controls (CG) free of cerebrovascular disease but with high vascular risk.

RESULTS

Patients with CSVD had significantly higher prevalence of vascular risk factors including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, polymetabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease. Patients with CSVD had also significantly higher fasting blood glucose, homocysteine, fibrinogen, systolic blood pressure, IMT values and lower eGFR, albumin and HDL levels. After adjustment for age and sex, low eGFR, albumin and high levels of uric acid and fibrinogen were associated with all CSVD groups, elevated fasting glucose was related to LS and HS. In the multivariate analysiss, the independent predictors for CSVD were female sex, low albumin, high fibrinogen, fasting glucose and uric acid. Patients with LS had significantly higher IMT values comparing to other CSVD groups, patients with VaP had a trend towards higher homocysteine levels.

CONCLUSION

Risk factor profile for CSVD as a whole differs from subjects with proatherogenic profile without history of cerebrovascular disease. Our results support the concept that CSVD is not homogeneous, and that unique risk factors profiles exist for different clinical manifestations of the disease.
Dynamic clustering of dynamin-amphiphysin rings regulates membrane constriction and fission coupled with GTP hydrolysis
Authors: Takeda Tetsuya , Kozai Toshiya , Yangxs Huiran , Ishikuro Daiki , Seyama Kaho , Kumagai Yusuke , Abe Tadashi , Yamada Hiroshi , Uchihashi Takayuki , Ando Toshio , Takei Kohji
Published: July 2017

Dynamin is a mechanochemical GTPase essential for membrane fission during clathrin mediated endocytosis. Dynamin forms washer ring-shaped/helical complexes at the neck of clathrin-coated pits and their structural changes coupled with GTP hydrolysis drive membrane fission. Dynamin and its binding protein amphiphysin cooperatively regulates membrane remodeling during fission, but its precise mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we analyze structural changes of dynamin-amphiphysin complexes during membrane fission using electron microscopy (EM) and high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). Interestingly, HS-AFM analyses show that the dynamin-amphiphysin rings are rearranged to form clusters upon GTP hydrolysis and membrane constriction occurs at protein-uncoated regions flanking the clusters. We also show a novel function of amphiphysin in size control of the clusters to enhance biogenesis of endocytic vesicles. Our new approaches using combination of EM and HS-AFM clearly demonstrates dynamics of dynamin-amphiphysin complexes during membrane fission suggesting a novel “clusterase” model of dynamin-mediated membrane fission.
The influence of landscape and environmental factors on ranavirus epidemiology in amphibian assemblages
Authors: Tornabene Brian J. , Blaustein Andrew R. , Briggs Cheryl J. , Calhoun Dana M. , Johnson Pieter T. J. , McDevitt-Galles Travis , Rohr Jason R. , Hoverman Jason T.
Published: July 2017

Aim

To quantify the influence of a suite of landscape, abiotic, biotic, and host-level variables on ranavirus disease dynamics in amphibian assemblages at two biological levels (site and host-level).

Location

Wetlands within the East Bay region of California, USA.

Methods

We used competing models, multimodel inference, and variance partitioning to examine the influence of 16 landscape and environmental factors on patterns in site-level ranavirus presence and host-level ranavirus infection in 76 wetlands and 1,377 amphibian hosts representing five species.

Results

The landscape factor explained more variation than any other factors in site-level ranavirus presence, but biotic and host-level factors explained more variation in host-level ranavirus infection. At both the site- and host-level, the probability of ranavirus presence correlated negatively with distance to nearest ranavirus-positive wetland. At the site-level, ranavirus presence was associated positively with taxonomic richness. However, infection prevalence within the amphibian population correlated negatively with vertebrate richness. Finally, amphibian host species differed in their likelihood of ranavirus infection: American Bullfrogs had the weakest association with infection while Western Toads had the strongest. After accounting for host species effects, hosts with greater snout-vent length had a lower probability of infection.

Main conclusions

Strong spatial influences at both biological levels suggest that mobile taxa (e.g., adult amphibians, birds, reptiles) may facilitate the movement of ranavirus among hosts and across the landscape. Higher taxonomic richness at sites may provide more opportunities for colonization or the presence of reservoir hosts that may influence ranavirus presence. Higher host richness correlating with higher ranavirus infection is suggestive of a dilution effect that has been observed for other amphibian disease systems and warrants further investigation. Our study demonstrates that an array of landscape, environmental, and host-level factors were associated with ranavirus epidemiology and illustrates that their importance vary with biological level.
Diversity of translation initiation mechanisms across bacterial species is driven by environmental conditions and growth demands
Authors: Hockenberry Adam J. , Stern Aaron J. , Amaral Luís A.N. , Jewett Michael C.
Published: July 2017

The Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence is often found upstream of protein coding genes across the bacterial kingdom, where it enhances start codon recognition via hybridization to the anti-SD (aSD) sequence on the small ribosomal subunit. Despite widespread conservation of the aSD sequence, the proportion of SD-led genes within a genome varies widely across species, and the evolutionary pressures shaping this variation remain largely unknown. Here, we conduct a phylogenetically-informed analysis and show that species capable of rapid growth have a significantly higher proportion of SD-led genes in their genome, suggesting a role for SD sequences in meeting the protein production demands of rapidly growing species. Further, we show that utilization of the SD sequence mechanism co-varies with: i) genomic traits that are indicative of efficient translation, and ii) optimal growth temperatures. In contrast to prior surveys, our results demonstrate that variation in translation initiation mechanisms across genomes is largely predictable, and that SD sequence utilization is part of a larger suite of translation-associated traits whose diversity is driven by the differential growth strategies of individual species.
The photocycle of orange carotenoid protein conceals distinct intermediates and asynchronous changes in the carotenoid and protein components
Authors: Maksimov E.G. , Sluchanko N.N. , Slonimskiy Y.B. , Stepanov A.V. , Shirshin E.A. , Tsoraev G.V. , Klementiev K.E. , Slatinskaya O.V. , Lukashev E.P. , Friedrich T. , Paschenko V.Z. , Rubin A.B.
Published: July 2017

The 35 kDa water-soluble Orange Carotenoid Protein (OCP) is responsible for photoprotection in cyanobacteria. It acts as a light intensity sensor that simultaneously serves as efficient quencher of phycobilisome excitation energy as well as of reactive oxygen species. Photoactivation triggers large-scale conformational rearrangements to convert OCP from the orange OCPOstate to the red active signaling state OCPR, as demonstrated by various structural methods. Eventually, such rearrangements imply complete yet reversible separation of structural domains (C- and N-terminal domain) and significant translocation of the carotenoid cofactor. Very recently, dynamic crystallography of OCPOcrystals suggested the existence of photocycle intermediates with small-scale rearrangements that may trigger further transitions in the protein. However, the currently existing gap between the ultra-fast picosecond and 100 millisecond time scale of spectroscopic and structural data precludes knowledge about distinct intermediate states. In this study, we took advantage of single 7 ns laser pulses to study carotenoid absorption transients in OCP on the time-scale from 100 ns to 10 s, which allowed us to detect a red intermediate state preceding the red signaling state OCPR. In addition, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and following assignment of carotenoid-induced quenching of different tryptophan residues revealed a novel orange intermediate state, which appears during back-relaxation of photoactivated OCPRto OCPO. Our results show asynchronous changes in the carotenoid and protein components and provide refined mechanistic information about the OCP photocycle as well as introduce new kinetic signatures for future studies of OCP photoactivity and photoprotection.

Significance statement

Cyanobacteria utilize the Orange Carotenoid Protein (OCP) to protect their photosynthetic apparatus from the harmful effects of intense sunlight. OCP is a blue light-triggered photoswitch, which undergoes photoconversion from its dark adapted orange to the active red state, the latter being able to interact with the phycobilisome antennae and quench their fluorescence, thus avoiding excessive energy flow to the photosystems. With the help of the fluorescence recovery protein (FRP), OCP detaches from phycobilisomes and can return faster into the orange state. Until now, only the thermodynamically stable orange state and the metastable red state are established in a primitive photocycle. In this work, we apply transient absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and identify two novel photocycle intermediates of physiological relevance.
Towards a highly efficient diversity census of the prokaryotic biosphere: a group testing approach
Authors: Shalem Bar , Amir Amnon , Porat Ely , Shental Noam
Published: July 2017

Exploring the microbial biosphere has grown exponentially in recent years, although we are far from understanding its entirety. We present the âdiversity censusâ problem of exploring all bacterial species in a large cohort of specimens, and detecting a specimen that contains each species. The naive approach to this problem is to sequence each specimen, thus requiring costly sample preparation steps.

We suggest an orders of magnitude more efficient approach for diversity censusing. Specimens are pooled according to a predefined design and standard 16S rRNA sequencing is performed over each pool. For each bacterial species, from the ultra-rare to the most common, the algorithm detects a single specimen that contains the bacterial species. The approach can be applied to large cohorts of monomicrobial cultures or to complex samples containing a mixture of organisms.

We model the experimental procedure and show viain silicosimulations that the approach enables censusing more than 95% of the species while taking 10 – 70 fold less resources. Simulating experiments using real samples display the utility in censusing large cohorts of samples.

Diversity censusing presents a novel problem in the mathematical field of group testing that may also be applied in other biological problems and in other domains.